Objective
Data are lacking on the relationship between postresuscitation ECG and outcome in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). We examined the prognostic information that postresuscitation ECG rhythm can provide for predicting outcome in OHCA survivors.
Methods
The retrospective observational study enrolled 56 successfully resuscitated nontraumatic adult OHCA patients. Postresuscitation 12-lead ECGs of the enrolled patients were interpreted independently by two cardiologists. We compared baseline clinical characteristics, CPR process, and outcome in the 8 patients with postresuscitation accelerated idioventricular rhythm (AIVR, n = 8) and the 48 without AIVR.
Results
The AIVR group had a higher proportion of patients with coronary artery disease (50% vs. 15%), initial ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation rhythm (50% vs. 8%), and cardiac origin of OHCA (75% vs. 23%). AIVR patients had longer total CPR duration (32 vs. 18 min) and higher dose of epinephrine use (10 vs. 3 mg). Postresuscitation AIVR was associated with an increased incidence of repeated CPR within 1 h after return of spontaneous circulation (38% vs. 4%), and lower 7-day survival rate (0% vs. 50%).
Conclusions
AIVR on postresuscitation ECG offers a prognostic factor related to a higher repeated CPR rate within 1 h after return of spontaneous circulation and a lower 7-day survival rates in successfully resuscitated OHCA victims.