Table 2:

Overview of clinical milestones related to recovery of consciousness, functional outcomes and goals of care discussions for each patient with prolonged post-cardiac arrest coma.

	Patient 1	Patient 2	Patient 3
tracheostomy and feeding tube placed	day 19	day 16	day 14
recovery from coma^	day 17	day 37	day 30
recovery of conscious awareness*	after day 54	day 52	day 71
disposition and functional state at hospital discharge	day 92; acute rehabilitation Able to speak in full sentences with severe dysarthria; transfers to chair; unable to stand or walk.	day 79; acute rehabilitation Described as “very awake, alert” and having a “good conversation flow”.	day 126; acute rehabilitation Oriented to self, date and time; able to hold a conversation; transfers to chair, able to stand with moderate assistance.
best known functional state	Able to perform activities of daily living independently, but unable to go back full employment because of instability upon standing and walking. Able to travel with family.	Independent in activities of daily living. Recurrent seizures precluded the ability to return to work. Some impairment in short and long-term memory, attention and executive function but able to hold public speeches.	Living at home abroad; video segments several months after return to home demonstrated significant recovery of cognitive and motor capacities (walking, dancing alone, singing and social engagement with friends and family).
goals of care discussions during acute hospital stay	Family decided to continue active care after consultation with author NDS who advised them based on the similarities in clinical profiles and known outcomes of patient 2 and 3 presented here.	Family decided to continue active care despite multiple experts from various academic centers (including author NDS and OD) who agreed that according to the guidelines the chance for neurological recovery above vegetative state was considered negligible.	Family decided to continue care as they lived abroad and were not able to visit the patient in person.

^{^}defined as evidence for spontaneous eye opening (transition from coma to vegetative state)

^*defined as evidence of intermittent command following (transition from vegetative state to minimally conscious state)