Thiamine vs. Placebo to Increase Oxygen Consumption After Cardiac Arrest

In-hospital cardiac arrest often leads to shock and organ failure, and low oxygen consumption and high lactate are associated with worse outcome. Thiamine is a B vitamin necessary to maintain the body's ability to use oxygen effectively, and the investigators have found that many patients are thiamine deficient after cardiac arrest. The investigators have also found that thiamine can decrease lactate in thiamine-deficient patients who are critically ill. Patients in this study will be randomized to receive either thiamine or placebo every 12 hours for 2 days after surviving an in-hospital cardiac arrest. The investigators will measure oxygen consumption continuously during that time with a monitor attached to the ventilator tubing, and will also measure lactate and other lab values at several time points.