Establishing Coronary Patency: A Key to Optimal Post Resuscitation Care

The formalizing post resuscitation care to include therapeutic hypothermia and cardiac angiography with percutaneous coronary intervention when needed could significantly improve survival following cardiac arrest. Any sudden death patient suspected to have a cardiac origin for their cardiac arrest should be considered for early catheterization and subsequent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) if a culprit lesion can be identified. Successful PCI improves survival to hospital discharge and cerebral performance category in patients with or without ST elevation. Current ‘report carding’ methodology needs to be changed regarding those resuscitated from cardiac arrest (patients with cardiac arrest not including them in any statistical reporting on PCI mortality report cards).

percutaneous coronary intervention, hypothermia, cardiac arrest, survival to hospital discharge, cerebral performance category, PCI report carding

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