Background: Each year, 10,000 people suffer from sudden cardiac arrest in Sweden. 500 people survive each year. Over the past two decades there has been an increase in the amount of surviving thanks to a large part of the population trained in CPR. The aim of the study was to describe patients' experiences after having survived a cardiac arrest.

Method:A literature review where eleven scientific articles were reviewed according to Friberg (2012).

Results:Surviving a Cardiac Arrest puts the physical, mental and social life to a head. The quality of life of all participants is lower after a cardiac arrest. Depression, anxiety and cognitive problems such as memory loss and concentration problems were seen as hardest time after the arrest. Women experience lower quality of life and poorer cognitive ability while men experience a lower level of participation in society. Conclusion: Despite the fact that the period immediately following a cardiac arrest is tough so do the patients experience a good quality of life after a few years. The importances of good aftercare are important for this patient group continued quality of life. There are many treatment options such as implanted defibrillator, and balloon angioplasty. The nurse has an important role in the after-care by creating an interpersonal relationship with the patient, when many participants reported the importance of having someone to share their thoughts and feelings with