Ubiquinol as a Metabolic Resuscitator in Post-Cardiac Arrest

Cardiac arrest (CA) occurs in more than 400,000 patients in the United States each year with
an estimated mortality of greater than 90%. The majority of patients who are resuscitated
from CA will succumb to the neurologic morbidity associated with the post-CA syndrome and
ischemic-reperfusion injury. Currently, there are no pharmacologic agents known to offer
survival benefit or to prevent devastating neurologic injury in post-CA patients.

A potential therapeutic target following ischemia-reperfusion injury is mitochondrial
function in the injured cell and/or reduction of oxygen free radicals. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)
is an essential mitochondrial co-factor and free radical scavenger that has been proposed as
a neuroprotective agent in various neurodegenerative disorders as well as a cardioprotective
agent. CoQ10 have furthermore shown exciting preliminary results as a potential therapy in
post-CA.

In order to test the effects of ubiquinol as a "metabolic resuscitator" in post-CA patients
and to provide additional preliminary data for a large-scale clinical trial, the
investigators are conducting a randomized, double-blind, place-controlled trial of ubiquinol
in post-CA patients.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Adult (≥ 18 years)

- Cardiac arrest defined by cessation of pulse requiring chest compressions

- Not following commands after ROSC

- Admission to the ICU

- Naso/orogastric tube

- Ability to receive enteral medication

Exclusion Criteria:

- Protected populations (pregnant women, prisoners, the intellectual disabled)

- Current CoQ10 supplementation

- Anticipated death within 24 hours

- > 12 hours from ROSC to estimated randomization

- Jejunostomy tube (J-tube)