Impact of emergency coronary angiography on in-hospital outcome of unconscious survivors after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

Post-resuscitation care following out-of-hospital and in-hospital cardiac arrest

Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in developed countries. Although a majority of cardiac arrest patients die during the acute event, a substantial proportion of cardiac arrest deaths occur in patients following successful resuscitation and can be attributed to the development of post-cardiac arrest syndrome. There is growing recognition that integrated post-resuscitation care, which encompasses targeted temperature management (TTM), early coronary angiography and comprehensive critical care, can improve patient outcomes. TTM has been shown to improve survival and neurological outcome in patients who remain comatose especially following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest due to ventricular arrhythmias. Early coronary angiography and revascularisation if needed may also be beneficial during the post-resuscitation phase, based on data from observational studies. In addition, resuscitated patients usually require intensive care, which includes mechanical ventilator, haemodynamic support and close monitoring of blood gases, glucose, electrolytes, seizures and other disease-specific intervention. Efforts should be taken to avoid premature withdrawal of life-supporting treatment, especially in patients treated with TTM. Given that resources and personnel needed to provide high-quality post-resuscitation care may not exist at all hospitals, professional societies have recommended regionalisation of post-resuscitation care in specialised 'cardiac arrest centres' as a strategy to improve cardiac arrest outcomes. Finally, evidence for post-resuscitation care following in-hospital cardiac arrest is largely extrapolated from studies in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Future studies need to examine the effectiveness of different post-resuscitation strategies, such as TTM, in patients with in-hospital cardiac arrest.

Cardiac Arrest: A Treatment Algorithm for Emergent Invasive Cardiac Procedures in the Resuscitated Comatose Patient

Patients who are comatose after cardiac arrest continue to be a challenge, with high mortality. Although there is an American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association Class I recommendation for performing immediate angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention (when indicated) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, no guidelines exist for patients without ST-segment elevation. Early introduction of mild therapeutic hypothermia is an established treatment goal. However, there are no established guidelines for risk stratification of patients for cardiac catheterization and possible percutaneous coronary intervention, particularly in patients who have unfavorable clinical features in whom procedures may be futile and affect public reporting of mortality. An algorithm is presented to improve the risk stratification of these severely ill patients with an emphasis on consultation and evaluation of patients prior to activation of the cardiac catheterization laboratory.

Combined ECG, Echocardiographic, and Biomarker Criteria for Diagnosing Acute Myocardial Infarction in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Patients

PURPOSE

Acute coronary lesions commonly trigger out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). However, the prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) in Asian patients with OHCA and whether electrocardiogram (ECG) and other findings might predict acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have not been fully elucidated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Of 284 consecutive resuscitated OHCA patients seen between January 2006 and July 2013, we enrolled 135 patients who had undergone coronary evaluation. ECGs, echocardiography, and biomarkers were compared between patients with or without CAD.

RESULTS

We included 135 consecutive patients aged 54 years (interquartile range 45-65) with sustained return of spontaneous circulation after OHCA between 2006 and 2012. Sixty six (45%) patients had CAD. The initial rhythm was shockable and non-shockable in 110 (81%) and 25 (19%) patients, respectively. ST-segment elevation predicted CAD with 42% sensitivity, 87% specificity, and 65% accuracy. ST elevation and/or regional wall motion abnormality (RWMA) showed 68% sensitivity, 52% specificity, and 70% accuracy in the prediction of CAD. Finally, a combination of ST elevation and/or RWMA and/or troponin T elevation predicted CAD with 94% sensitivity, 17% specificity, and 55% accuracy.

CONCLUSION

In patients with OHCA without obvious non-cardiac causes, selection for coronary angiogram based on the combined criterion could detect 94% of CADs. However, compared with ECG only criteria, the combined criterion failed to improve diagnostic accuracy with a lower specificity.

Long-term outcome of patients after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in relation to treatment: a single-centre study

INTRODUCTION

Outcome after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remains poor. With the introduction of automated external defibrillators, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and mild therapeutic hypothermia (MTH) the prognosis of patients after OHCA appears to be improving. The aim of this study was to evaluate short and long-term outcome among a non-selected population of patients who experienced OHCA and were admitted to a hospital working within a ST elevation myocardial infarction network.

METHODS

All patients who achieved return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) (n=456) admitted to one hospital after OHCA were included. Initial rhythm, reperfusion therapy with PCI, implementation of MTH and additional medical management were recorded. The primary outcome measure was survival (hospital and long term). Neurological status was measured as cerebral performance category. The inclusion period was January 2003 to August 2010. Follow-up was complete until April 2014.

RESULTS

The mean patient age was 63±14 years and 327 (72%) were men. The initial rhythm was ventricular fibrillation, pulseless electrical activity, asystole and pulseless ventricular tachycardia in 322 (71%), 58 (13%), 55 (12%) and 21 (5%) of the 456 patients, respectively. Treatment included PCI in 191 (42%) and MTH in 188 (41%). Overall in-hospital and long-term (5-year) survival was 53% (n=240) and 44% (n=202), respectively. In the 170 patients treated with primary PCI, in-hospital survival was 112/170 (66%). After hospital discharge these patients had a 5-year survival rate of 99% and cerebral performance category was good in 92%.

CONCLUSIONS

In this integrated ST elevation myocardial infarction network survival and neurological outcome of selected patients with ROSC after OHCA and treated with PCI was good. There is insufficient evidence about the outcome of this approach, which has a significant impact on utilisation of resources. Good quality randomised controlled trials are needed. In selected patients successfully resuscitated after OHCA of presumed cardiac aetiology, we believe that a more liberal application of primary PCI may be considered in experienced acute cardiac referral centres.

Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Adults With Cardiac Arrest

Cardiac arrest (CA) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite the use of conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), rates of return of spontaneous circulation and survival with minimal neurologic impairment remain low. Utilization of venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for CA in adults is steadily increasing. Propensity-matched cohort studies have reported outcomes associated with ECMO use to be superior to that of conventional CPR alone in in-hospital patients with CA. In this review, we discuss the mechanism, indications, complications, and evidence for ECMO in CA in adults.

Differentiating between comatose patients resuscitated from acute coronary syndrome-associated and subarachnoid hemorrhage-associated out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

BACKGROUND

Upon initial evaluation in the emergency department (ED), it is often difficult to differentiate between comatose patients resuscitated following acute coronary syndrome (ACS)-associated and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH)-associated out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). We assessed the clinical differences between resuscitated comatose ACS-OHCA and SAH-OHCA patients during initial evaluation in the ED.

METHODS

Data of 1259 consecutive OHCA patients were analyzed retrospectively. Of these, 23 resuscitated comatose ACS-OHCA patients and 20 resuscitated comatose SAH-OHCA patients were included in the final analysis. Clinical data obtained during initial evaluation in the ED were compared between groups.

RESULTS

Pulseless electrical activity (PEA) or asystole as the initial cardiac rhythm, female gender, and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (≥50%) on the echocardiogram were significantly more common in the SAH-OHCA group (p<0.05 each). Although ST-T abnormalities suggesting myocardial damage (ST elevation and/or ST depression) were noted in most patients in both groups via 12-lead electrocardiogram (95%, ACS-OHCA group; 85%, SAH-OHCA group, p=0.50), reciprocal ST depression was significantly more often absent in the SAH-OHCA group (p=0.025). Initial PEA/asystole and presence of 1 other factor was sufficient to differentiate SAH-OHCA patients from ACS-OHCA patients (100% sensitivity, 91% specificity, 95% accuracy).

CONCLUSIONS

Initial ED evaluation is sufficient to differentiate between comatose ACS-OHCA and SAH-OHCA patients prior to further diagnostic work-up (e.g. emergent coronary angiography and head computed tomography).

Invasive strategy in patients with resuscitated cardiac arrest and ST elevation myocardial infarction

Coronary artery disease is the most frequent cause of sudden cardiac death. There is general consensus that immediate coronary angiography with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) should be performed in all conscious and unconscious patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction in post-resuscitation electrocardiogram. In these patients acute coronary thrombotic lesion (“ACS” lesion) suitable for PCI is typically present in more than 90%. PCI in these patients is not only feasible and safe but highly effective and there is evidence of improved survival with good neurological outcome. PCI of the culprit lesion is the primary goal while PCI of stable obstructive lesions may be postponed unless post-resuscitation cardiogenic shock is present.

Percutaneous coronary intervention for postcardiac arrest syndrome

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Sudden cardiac arrest is a major cause of unexpected death, as well as a major clinical issue. Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) can drastically improve outcomes among patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction without cardiac arrest. Recent studies reported that using emergency PCI to resuscitate patients has the potential to improve their outcomes. The purpose of this review is to elucidate the effects of PCI among resuscitated patients.

RECENT FINDINGS

To the best of current understanding, no randomized clinical trial has assessed PCI for postcardiac arrest syndrome. Several observational studies suggested a positive effect of PCI for resuscitated out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients, and a number of observational studies reported a limited beneficial effect. Several studies reported that a combination of therapeutic hypothermia and PCI may be feasible and effective. However, the presence of bias and unmeasured confounders in these studies may have affected the outcomes.

SUMMARY

PCI for postcardiac arrest syndrome may improve outcomes of OHCA patients; however, randomized trials of PCI for postcardiac arrest syndrome are necessary to confirm this issue. Alternative cardiopulmonary resuscitation using venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and PCI may have the potential to improve the outcomes of refractory cardiac arrest patients.

Characteristics and outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention following cardiac arrest (from the NCDR)

Outcomes in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (CA) who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) have been limited to small, mostly single-center studies. We compared patients who underwent PCI after CA included in the CathPCI Registry with those without CA. Patients with ST elevation were classified as ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI); all other patients having PCI were classified as without STEMI. Patients with CA in each group were compared with the corresponding non-CA groups for baseline characteristics, angiographic findings, and outcomes. A total of 594,734 patients underwent PCI, of whom 114,768 had STEMI, including 9,375 (8.2%) had CA, and 479,966 had without STEMI, including 2,775 (0.6%) had CA. Patients with CA were similar in age to patients with non-CA, with a lower frequency of coronary disease risk factors and known coronary disease. On angiography, patients with CA were significantly more likely to have more complex lesions with worse baseline thrombolysis in myocardial infarction flow. Patients with CA were significantly more likely to have cardiogenic shock, both for patients with STEMI (51% vs 7.2%, respectively) and for patients without STEMI (38% vs 0.8%, respectively, both p<0.001). In-hospital mortality was substantially worse in patients with CA, for both patients with STEMI (24.9% vs 3.1%, respectively) and patients without STEMI (18.7% vs 0.4%, respectively). In conclusion, patients who underwent PCI after CA had more complex anatomy, more shock, and higher mortality. The substantially increased mortality in patients with CA has important implications for the development and regionalization of centers for CA.

Routine angiography in survivors of out of hospital cardiac arrest with return of spontaneous circulation: a single site registry

BACKGROUND

Coronary revascularization in resuscitated out of hospital cardiac arrest (OOHCA) patients has been associated with improved survival.

METHODS

This was a retrospective review of patients with OOHCA between 01/07/2007 and 31/03/2009 surviving to hospital admission. Cardiac risk factors, demographics, treatment times, electrocardiogram (ECG), angiographic findings and in-hospital outcomes were recorded.

RESULTS

Of the 78 patients, 63 underwent coronary angiography. Traditional cardiac risk factors were common in this group. Chest pain occurred in 33.3% pre-arrest, 59.0% were initially treated at a peripheral hospital, 83.3% had documented ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation, 55.1% had specific ECG changes, 65.4% had acute myocardial infarction (AMI) as the cause of OOHCA and the majority had multi-vessel disease. ST elevation strongly predicted AMI. The in-hospital survival was 67.9% with neurological deficit in 13.2% of survivors. The group of patients who had an angiogram were more likely to have AMI as a cause of cardiac arrest (71.4% vs 40.0%, p = 0.01) and more likely to have survived to discharge (74.6% vs 40.0%, p < 0.01). Poor outcome was associated with older age, cardiogenic shock, longer transfer times, diabetes, renal impairment and a long duration to return of spontaneous circulation.

CONCLUSIONS

Acute myocardial infarction was the commonest cause of OOHCA and a high rate of survival to discharge was seen with a strategy of routine angiography and revascularization.