Abstract 222: Does Gender Matter for Postarrest Care?

Abstract

Introduction: Studies have shown that after cardiac arrest women have lower survival to discharge rates than men. These differences are surprising, considering that women are more often successfully resuscitated in the prehospital setting. Differences in survival to discharge rates might be partially attributed to disparity in post arrest care, similar to what is seen in myocardial infarction (MI). Hypothesis: There is gender disparity in the provision of targeted post arrest care interventions. Methods: This prospective study explores gender disparity in a prospective Canadian data set of non-traumatic, EMS treated, out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients presenting to hospitals in the Strategies for Post Arrest Care (SPARC) network between March 16, 2010 and March 31, 2012. All patients with sustained return of spontaneous circulation (palpable pulse for >20 mins) were included in the analysis. Unadjusted chi square tests and logistic regression models were employed to examine the relationship between gender, and provision of post arrest care interventions (coronary angiography, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), therapeutic hypothermia, electrical physiology consultation and internal cardiac defibrillator (ICD) placement and two or more neuroprognostic testing ≥ 72 hours). Results: From a total of 2,199 OHCA patients (1,447 men, 752 women), 992 had sustained return of spontaneous circulation (36.6% women, mean age 68.2 years; 63.4% men, mean age 63.9). There were gender differences in utilization of coronary angiography (12.1% in women vs. 20.8% in men, adjusted OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.36 to 0.77, p=0.013) and PCI (3.7% in women vs. 5.8% in men, adjusted OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.41 to 0.98, p=0.042). ICD was less utilized in women, but differences were not significantly different (4.9% in women vs. 8.1% in men, adjusted OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.33 to 1.02 p=0.062). There were no gender differences in utilization of therapeutic hypothermia and neuroprognostic testing ≥ 72 hours. Conclusion: The observed gender differences in utilization of coronary angiography and PCI intervention may be due to disparity in care and/or differences in underlying pathophysiology of cardiac arrest between men and women contributing to women’s unfavorable outcomes.