ACCESS to the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory in Patients Without ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Resuscitated From Out-of-hospital Ventricular Fibrillation Cardiac Arrest
To determine if survival to hospital discharge with good neurological outcome for adults ages 18-75 who are resuscitated from out-of-hospital VT/VF cardiac arrest without clinical signs of a heart attack do better by going straight to the cardiac catheterization laboratory or admitted to the intensive care unit for evaluation. The investigators think a large portion of resuscitated patients presenting with VT/VF have ischemic heart disease which is the cause for the arrest. And prompt access to the cardiac catheterization laboratory to reverse the blocked artery will improve survival with good neurological outcomes.
• Adult presumed or known to be 18-75 years old
• Resuscitated from OOHCA
• Initial cardiac arrest rhythm of pulseless VT/VF (including patients treated with an AED)
• No ST-segment elevation MI (No STEMI) (or STEMI-equivalent syndrome) on ED 12-lead ECG (as interpreted by a physician)