Timing of coronary angiography in survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest without obvious extracardiac causes

Background Indications and timing of coronary angiography in patients surviving out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remain controversial. The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of an early invasive strategy in patients presenting with an OHCA and no obvious extracardiac cause.
Methods Between January 1st 2009 and December 31st 2014 a total 612 survivors of OHCA were admitted to our institution. Patients with no obvious extracardiac cause (n = 507) were stratified into two groups: patients that underwent cardiac catheterization ≤3 h (early invasive; n = 291) and patients not undergoing cardiac catheterization within 3 h (non-early invasive; n = 216). Primary endpoint was all-cause mortality at 30 days.
Results All-cause 30-day mortality was 28.9% in the early invasive group vs. 36.6% in the non-early invasive group (log-rank p = 0.071). After propensity analyses, an early invasive strategy, as compared to a non-early strategy, was not associated with 30-day mortality (adjusted Hazard ratio [HR] 0.69; 95% CI 0.35–1.37; p = 0.029). Cox multivariable regression analyses demonstrated age (HR 1.04/year; 95% CI 1.02–1.07) and presentation with cardiogenic shock (HR 5.1; 95% CI 1.8–14.0) to be the sole independent predictors of 30-day mortality.
Conclusions In this retrospective study, early coronary angiography (<3 h), as compared to a non-early invasive strategy, was not associated with reduced 30-day mortality in patients hospitalized after OHCA, irrespective of the presence of ST segment elevation or cardiogenic shock at presentation.