Role of coronary angiography in patients with a non-diagnostic electrocardiogram following out of hospital cardiac arrest: Rationale and design of the multicentre randomized controlled COUPE trial.

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major cause of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). The role of emergency coronary angiography (CAG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) following cardiac arrest in patients without ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) remains unclear.

Aims: We aim to assess whether emergency CAG and PCI, when indicated, will improve survival with good neurological outcome in post-OHCA patients without STEMI who remain comatose.