Early CT signs in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survivors: Temporal profile and prognostic significance☆

Abstract 

Aim

Although computed tomography (CT) signs of ischaemia, including loss of boundary (LOB) between grey matter and white matter and cortical sulcal effacement, in cardiac arrest (CA) survivors are known, their temporal profile and prognostic significance remains unclear; their clarification is necessary.

Methods

Brain CT scans were obtained immediately after resuscitation in 75 non-traumatic CA survivors in a prospective fashion. They were divided into two groups according to the CA-return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) interval: ≤20min vs. >20min. The incidence of the CT signs and predictability of these signs for outcome, assessed 6 months after CA, was evaluated and compared.

Results

The incidence of the positive LOB sign was 24% in the ≤20-min group and 83% in the >20-min group, and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.001). The interval of 20min seemed to be the time window for the LOB development. The incidence of the positive sulcal effacement sign was 0% in the ≤20min group and 34% in the >20-min group, and the difference was statistically significant (p=0.004). A positive LOB sign was predictive of unfavourable outcome with an 81% sensitivity and 92% specificity. A positive sulcal effacement sign was predictive of unfavourable outcome with a 32% sensitivity and 100% specificity.

Conclusion

A time window may exist for ischaemic CT signs in CA survivors. The LOB sign may develop when the CA-ROSC interval exceeds 20min, whereas the sulcal effacement sign may develop later. However, their temporal profile and outcome predictability should be verified by multicentre studies.

Keywords: Early CT sign, Loss of boundary, Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, Return of spontaneous circulation, Sulcal effacement