Role of Cardiac Catheterization Lab Post Resuscitation in Patients with ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction

BACKGROUND: Cardiac arrest remains a common and lethal condition associated with high morbidity and mortality. Even with improving survival rates, the successfully resuscitated post cardiac arrest patient is also at risk for poor neurological outcomes, functional status and long- term survival if not managed appropriately. Given that acute coronary occlusion has been found to be the leading cause of cardiac arrest, long-term prognosis is good in selected patients after successful out-of-hospital resuscitation and ST elevation myocardial infarction who are taken for immediate coronary angiography, treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention and hypothermia when indicated. CONCLUSION: A priority should therefore be placed in diagnosing as quickly as possible patients who have an acute coronary occlusion (i.e. ST elevation myocardial infarction) and implementing the appropriate and timely therapeutic strategy, which will require close chain of survival co- ordination and the services of the cardiac catheterization lab. Here we review previous and current guidelines as well as associated evidence.