A 58-year-old man is brought by the ambulance to the emergency department (ED) of a tertiary care centre following an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Paramedics were called by the patient's wife after he had collapsed. She immediately initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Prior to his collapse, he had been complaining of chest pain. His initial rhythm in the field was ventricular fibrillation, and he received defibrillation. An automated CPR device was applied prior to transport. En route, return of spontaneous circulation is achieved. An electrocardiogram shows ST-segment elevation in the anterior leads. Just prior to arrival, the patient suffers recurrent cardiac arrest with two further rounds of unsuccessful defibrillation in the ED. At this point, a decision is made to proceed with extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR), prior to transport for cardiac catheterization.

Introduction: Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) is a rapidly evolving technology for clinical use in patients with refractory cardiogenic arrest. Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a common cause of unexpected death and has a low survival rate. There is increasing evidence that suggests better outcomes for (OHCA) patients, including improved neurological outcomes and survival rates, who are started on extracorporeal corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) versus traditional resuscitation methods. Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of 200 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients presenting to Regina emergency departments from January 1, 2017 to March 31, 2019. Eligibility for ECPR was assessed using different clinical criteria from different ECPR programs (University of British Columbia, University of Michigan, and a hypothetical “Regina” criteria created for this study). Outcomes of the eligible patients were compared using descriptive statistics with SPSS version 22. Results: Between four different criteria, 15%, 9.5%, 7.5%, and 3.5% of patients were respectively eligible to receive ECPR. Of patients who met eligibility for all four criteria, 80% were male, the average age was 61 years old, the average Cerebral Performance score was 4.46, and 83% died in hospital. There was a low survival rate of eligible patients, with rates of 16%, 17%, 20%, and 28% in each group. The survival rate for all patients was 21% and the average CPC score was 4.35. Conclusion: The significant percentage of patients were eligible for ECPR upon presentation to Regina Emergency Departments. Patients who were eligible had low survival rates and poor neurological outcomes, suggesting that ECPR could prove to be a valuable clinical tool that could improve patient outcomes in Saskatchewan. There were considerable differences in patient eligibility percentages based on different criterion. Differences in inclusion/exclusion criteria, modifying the expected annual number of ECPR eligible OHCA patients, could provide valuable information on required resources and planning for implementation of an ECPR program in a smaller centre, such as Regina.

Introduction: We sought to assess the effect of in-hospital targeted temperature management (TTM) on outcomes of non-shockable out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Methods: This is a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial “A Randomized Trial of Continuous Versus Interrupted Chest Compressions in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest” (NCT01372748). We included non-traumatic comatose OHCAs with non-shockable rhythm who survived to hospital admission. Outcomes of interest were survival at hospital discharge and favorable neurological outcome (modified Rankin scale 0-3). We performed multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for baseline characteristics to determine the association between TTM and outcomes, compared to no TTM, for the entire cohort as well as for the propensity matched cohort. Results: Of 1,985 OHCAs who survived to hospital admission, 780 (39.3%) were managed with TTM. In TTM patients, 7.3 % patients survived to hospital discharge and 3.9 % had a favorable neurological outcome in contrast to 10.2 % and 6.1 %, respectively, in no TTM patients. Multivariable analyses demonstrated an association between TTM and decreased probability of both outcomes, compared to no TTM (adjusted ORs for survival: 0.67 95% CI 0.48–0.93, and for favorable neurological outcome: 0.57 95% CI 0.37–0.90). Propensity score matched analyses demonstrate the similar results. Conclusion: TTM might decrease the probability of neurologically intact survival for non-shockable OHCAs.

Introduction: One in nine (11.7%) people in Saskatchewan identifies as First Nations. In Canada, First Nations people experience a higher burden of cardiovascular disease when compared to the general population, but it is unknown whether they have different outcomes in out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Methods: We reviewed pre-hospital and inpatient records of patients sustaining an OHCA between January 1st, 2015 and December 31st, 2017. The population consisted of patients aged 18 years or older with OHCA of presumed cardiac origin occurring in the catchment area of Saskatoon's EMS service. Variables of interest included, age, gender, First Nations status (as identified by treaty number), EMS response times, bystander CPR, and shockable rhythm. Outcomes of interest included return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), survival to hospital admission, and survival to hospital discharge. Results: In all, 372 patients sustained OHCA, of which 27 were identified as First Nations. First Nations patients with OHCA tended to be significantly younger (mean age 46 years vs. 65 years, p < 0.0001) and had shorter EMS response times (median times 5.3 minutes vs. 6.2 minutes, p = 0.01). There were no differences between First Nations and non-First Nations patients in terms of incidence of shockable rhythms (24% vs. 26%, p = 0.80), ROSC (42% vs. 41%, p = 0.87), survival to admission (27% vs 33%, p = 0.53), and survival to hospital discharge (15% vs. 12%, p = 0.54). Conclusion: In Saskatoon, First Nations patients sustaining OHCA appear to have similar survival rates when compared with non-First Nations patients, suggesting similar baseline care. Interestingly, First Nations patients sustaining OHCA were significantly younger than their non-First Nations counterparts. This may reflect a higher burden of cardiovascular disease, suggesting a need improved prevention strategies.