Outcome in transferred and nontransferred patients after primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ischaemic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the impact of transfer from a referral hospital to a center with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) facilities of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients after successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

METHODS

We studied all STEMI patients with successful CPR admitted to two centers after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and CPR from January 2004 to December 2005. Subjects were divided in a transferred (PCI performed after referral from center without PCI facility) and nontransferred (PCI performed in hospital of admission, i.e. center with PCI facility) group.

RESULTS

A total of 44 patients were included. Mean age was 61 +/- 13 year and 35 (80%) patients were male. Of all patients 16 (36%) were transferred for treatment. After treatment, the left ventricular function was preserved in 4 (25%) patients of the transferred group are compared with 17 (61%) of the nontransferred group (P = 0.024). In-hospital mortality after follow-up did not differ with 7 (44%) survivors in the transferred group versus 15 (54%) survivors in the nontransferred group (P = 0.76). Patients who did not survive were more often treated with endotracheal intubation (100% versus 71%, P= 0.019), had more often an occlusion of the proximal right coronary artery (37% versus 10%, P= 0.02), and higher glucose levels at admission (15.2 mmol/l +/- 4.4 versus 11.5 mmol/l +/- 4.2, P= 0.009).

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, no difference in outcome was observed between nontransferred and transferred patients. Therefore, we suggest that transfer for primary PCI for STEMI patients after successful CPR should be considered.