Iskustva bliske smrti tijekom planiranog cirkulacijskog zastoja u kardiokirurgiji

Near-death experiences (NDEs) are profound subjective events reported by people who come close to death, often involving out-of-body perceptions, feelings of peace, moving through a tunnel, and encountering lights or figures, though features vary by culture. In cardiac arrest survivors, NDEs occur in roughly 10–20% of survivors, with out-of-body experiences in about 2%. Planned hypothermic circulatory arrest during aortic arch repair precisely times cardiac arrest and reperfusion, offering a controlled model to study NDEs systematically. This review synthesizes definitions, incidence, typologies, and cultural variations, noting limitations of prior studies such as anesthetic effects and recall bias. Emerging tools like virtual reality simulations may help patients articulate NDE memories and reduce trauma. The authors conclude that planned cardiac arrest settings could advance understanding of NDE mechanisms and support patient care.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Near-death experiences (NDEs) are profound subjectiveevents reported by individuals who have come closeto death. In Western cultures, they often involve out-of-body perceptions (OBEs), feelings of peace, movingthrough a tunnel, and encountering lights or figures.While traditionally studied in unpredictable cardiacarrest or trauma, planned circulatory arrest during hypothermiccardiac surgery offers a unique, controlledmodel to investigate NDEs. This review summarizes definitions, incidence, typologies, and cultural variationsof NDEs and OBEs, emphasizing cardiac arrest research.We describe the literature search methodologyand synthesize findings: typical NDE features, whichvary by culture, occur in roughly 10–20% of survivors,with OBEs in ~2%. Planned hypothermic circulatory arrest(e.g., aortic arch repair) precisely times cardiac arrestand reperfusion, enabling systematic observationand interview. We discuss limitations of prior studies(anaesthetic effects, recall bias) and how induced arrestmay improve control over physiological and temporalvariables. Emerging tools such as virtual reality (VR)simulations can help patients articulate NDE memoriesand reduce trauma. Including the medical staff’s timelineand patient monitoring (ECG, blood gases, drug records)can corroborate subjective reports. We concludethat planned cardiac arrest settings could advance understandingof NDE mechanisms and support patientcare particularly when an adequate number of patientsare included.