INTRODUCTION: Survivors of cardiac arrest (CA) frequently experience both physical and cognitive impairment. Few receive outpatient rehabilitation services. We are conducting a randomized trial to determine if therapeutic exercise (TE) improves health related quality of life, physical, and cognitive function after cardiac arrest. We assessed characteristics of included/non-included patients during the first 32 months of enrollment to determine if these populations differ from one another. HYPOTHESIS: Those who participate in the TE study have less severe initial illness severity, better neurologic outcomes, and more favorable baseline demographic characteristics than non-participants. METHODS: CA patients treated between June 2016 and February 2019 were included. CA survivors were eligible between hospital discharge and 6 months post-CA. Patients were called 3 times before being considered “lost to follow up” (LTF). T-test and Wilcoxon Rank-Sum were used to compare baseline demographics, initial illness severity (measured by the Pittsburgh Cardiac Arrest Category-PCAC), and discharge dispositions (measured by CPC and mRS) between groups. RESULTS: Of 234 eligible patients, 12 were enrolled (5.13%). Primary exclusions were LTF (n = 71, 30.34%), enrolled and later dropped or excluded (n = 66, 28.21%), or were admitted to a hospital, skilled nursing, or inpatient rehabilitation facility at the time of eligibility (n=39, 16.67%). Included participants did not differ from excluded with regards to age, gender, cardiac arrest location, PCAC, primary rhythm, temperature management, hospital or ICU length of stay, discharge disposition, mRS, or CPC score. [Table] CONCLUSIONS: Demographic variables, illness severity, and outcome do not differ between participating and non-participating patients. Only 5% of eligible patients participated in the study. Further research to reduce LTF and increase study participation should be investigated.