Using the Post-Resuscitation ECG to Determine Need for Urgent PCI

Patients with ST-segment elevation on post-arrest electrocardiogram were more likely to have acute coronary occlusion than those without it in a small study.

Determining which patients will benefit from urgent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is not always straightforward. These researchers assessed whether characteristics of the post-resuscitation electrocardiogram (ECG) aid in the decision. They retrospectively analyzed data from 84 adults with sustained return of spontaneous circulation after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest who underwent coronary angiography at a hospital in Spain during a 7-year period. Of these patients, 58% had ST-segment elevation on post-resuscitation ECG, and 42% had other patterns, including ST-segment depression, bundle branch block, and nonspecific ST-T wave changes.

Acute coronary artery occlusion was more frequent in patie…

Reviewing Author

Kristi L. Koenig, MD, FACEP, FIFEM

Disclosures

Editorial boardsKoenig & Schultz's Disaster Medicine: Comprehensive Principles and Practices

Kristi L. Koenig, MD, FACEP, FIFEM

Disclosures

Editorial boardsKoenig & Schultz's Disaster Medicine: Comprehensive Principles and Practices

Using the Post-Resuscitation ECG to Determine Need for Urgent PCI

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Reviewing Author