Durable Effects of In-Hospital Interventions After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

The use of therapeutic hypothermia (TH), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), or both in selected patients after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is associated with improvement in functional hospital survival. To assess the benefit of these interventions for long-term prognosis, investigators examined patient survival up to 9 years after cardiac arrest in a large metropolitan area served by emergency-response personnel trained in the use of rhythm medications. All patients were brought to PCI-capable hospitals.

Of 5958 treated adults, 1001 (16.8%) were discharged from the hospital alive and included in the analysis (median age, 61; 69% men). PCI was performed in 38% of these survivors, 80% within 6 hours of hospital arrival; of these, 71%…