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.

Methods: COUPE is a prospective, multicentre and randomized controlled clinical trial. A total of 166 survivors of OHCA without STEMI will be included. Potentially non-cardiac aetiology of the cardiac arrest will be ruled out prior to randomization. Randomization will be 1:1 for emergency (within 2 h) or deferred (performed before discharge) CAG. Both groups will receive routine care in the intensive cardiac care unit, including therapeutic hypothermia. The primary efficacy endpoint is a composite of in-hospital survival free of severe dependence, which will be evaluated using the Cerebral Performance Category Scale. The safety endpoint will be a composite of major adverse cardiac events including death, reinfarction, bleeding and ventricular arrhythmias.

Conclusions: This study will assess the efficacy of an emergency CAG versus a deferred one in OHCA patients without STEMI in terms of survival and neurological impairment.