Change in out-of-hospital 12-lead ECG diagnostic classification following resuscitation from cardiac arrest.

Introduction: We evaluated the incidence of change in serial 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) diagnostic classifications in patients resuscitated from out-of-hospital (OH) cardiac arrest (OHCA) comparing OH to emergency department (ED) ECGs.

Methods: This retrospective case series included: 1) adults (≥ 18 years old), 2) resuscitated from OHCA, 3) ≥ 1 OH and 1 ED ECG/patient, and 4) emergency medical services (EMS) transport to the study hospital. OH and ED ECGs were classified as: 1) STEMI (ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction), 2) Ischemic, and 3) Non-ischemic.

End tidal CO and cerebral oximetry for the prediction of return of spontaneous circulation during cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Background: End Tidal CO (ETCO) is a reasonable predictor of Return of Spontaneous Circulation (ROSC) in cardiac arrest (CA), though with many limitations. Cerebral Oximetry (CerOx) non-invasively measures brain O saturation and correlates with flow.

Objectives: This study compares ETCO and CerOx for ROSC prediction during both out of hospital (OHCA) and emergency department cardiac arrests (EDCA).