Specialized post-arrest care after cardiac arrest
Official title: The effect of SPecialty cAre on Recovery from Cardiac arrest (the SPARC trial)
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11627883 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A large, nationwide effort tests whether transferring cardiac arrest patients to a specialized post-arrest care center improves recovery compared with usual care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2025 |
| Project end | August 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $2,301,981 |
| NIH project number | 4R61HL175113-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11627883 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults 21 years and older resuscitated from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest who could be transferred to a specialty post-arrest center.
✕Less likely to help
Patients treated only at non-specialty centers with no access to a defined specialty system may see no added benefit.
What this research studies
This project will study adults who survive out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and are treated after resuscitation. Patients would be randomized to be transferred to a designated specialty center or to continue with standard post-arrest care at their current hospital. The study aims to determine if a specialized system of care improves functional recovery and identify the key components needed to make such care effective. It will use a regional Phase II design to explore how care settings and resources influence outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could experience better survival and quality of recovery after cardiac arrest through optimized post-arrest care.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work suggests that specialized care approaches can improve outcomes, but this trial will test their value in a real-world regional setting.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Elmer, Jonathan — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Elmer, Jonathan
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Multi-center study on how ventilation during CPR relates to cardiac arrest outcomes
A large, real-world study will look at how ventilation during CPR affects survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in adults.
-
Reduce bias in predicting brain recovery after cardiac arrest
This project aims to make brain-recovery predictions more accurate for people who survive cardiac arrest by comparing outcomes between the United States and Brazil.
-
Fairer brain recovery predictions after cardiac arrest through U.S.–Brazil collaboration
This project aims to find better ways to predict brain recovery for people who survive cardiac arrest but have possible brain injury.
-
Improving predictions of brain recovery after cardiac arrest
This project compares outcomes after cardiac arrest in the U.S. and Brazil to learn which tests best predict who will regain brain function for people who survive cardiac arrest.
-
Reducing biased predictions of brain recovery after cardiac arrest
This project looks at cardiac arrest survivors in the US and Brazil to find more accurate ways to predict brain recovery and avoid premature stopping of life support.
-
Pediatric cooling duration to improve brain recovery after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest
This study tests the best length of cooling after cardiac arrest in children to help more kids recover with better brain function.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.