Abstract

Introduction: In adults, the most common cause of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) is coronary artery disease. If an immediate coronary angiogram (CAG) is recommended for survivors presenting a ST segment elevation (ST +) on the electrocardiogram (ECG) performed after resuscitation, there is still a debate regarding the best strategy in patients without ST +. Hypothesis: Performing an immediate CAG after an OHCA without ST + on the post-resuscitation ECG and no obvious non-cardiac cause of arrest leads to a better outcome. Methods: The EMERGE trial is a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial that assessed the 180-day survival rate with no or minimal neurologic sequel in patients resuscitated from an OHCA without ST + randomized (1:1) to either immediate or delayed (48 to 96h) CAG. The primary endpoint of the study is the 180-day survival rate with no or minimal neurological sequel (Cerebral Performance Category (CPC) 1 or 2). The secondary endpoints are: occurrence of shock during the first 48 hours, ventricular tachycardia and/or fibrillation during the first 48 hours, change in left ventricular ejection fraction between baseline and 180 days assessed by echocardiogram, neurological status evaluated by the CPC scale at intensive care unit (ICU) discharge and day 90 neurological status assessed by the Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended score (GOSE) at 90 and 180 days, overall survival rate, and hospital length of stay. Results: 279 patients were enrolled, 141 in the immediate and 138 in the delayed CAG group. Mean age was 65 and 195 were males. The mean delays between randomization and CAG were 0.6 ± 3.7 hours and 55.1 ± 37.2 hours in the immediate and delayed CAG group respectively. The 180-day survival rates among patients with CPC 1 or 2 were 34.1% and 30.7% in the immediate and delayed CAG group, respectively (hazard ratio: 0.87 [95% CI, 0.65; 1.15], P=0.324). The 180-day survival rates in the whole population were 36.2% and 33.3% in the immediate and delayed CAG group, respectively (HR: 0.86 [95% CI, 0.64-1.15], P=0.308). Conclusions: In patients successfully resuscitated after an OHCA without ST +, a strategy of immediate CAG was not found to be better than a strategy of delayed CAG with respect to 180-day survival rate with no or minimal neurological sequel.

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