Acute cardiac care & resuscitationCohort study

The post-ROSC ECG: morphological spectrum of non-ST-elevation occlusion and prognostic markers after cardiac arrest

ResuscitationPublished

  • retrospective single-centre analysis

Authors' conclusion

On the first post-ROSC ECG, angiographically confirmed occlusion concentrated around a small number of NST-OMI morphologies - findings of crucial importance for identification and appropriate management. PR-segment prolongation predicted reduced 30-day survival - indicating prognostic information beyond ischaemia detection.

Study context

Population
Cardiac arrest survivors admitted to a tertiary ICU (2020–2025), first post-ROSC ECG101 had coronary angiography (CAG)-confirmed occlusive myocardial infarction (OMI)
Participants
214 survivors
Exposure
NST-OMI patterns vs STEMI

Main finding

As reported in the abstract

Distribution of NST-OMI patterns among CAG-confirmed OMI
left-main equivalent
8%
Smith-modified Sgarbossa criteria
8%
Aslanger pattern
5%
lateral OMI
4%
shark-fin sign
4%
hyperacute t-wave
4%

Observational data: associations, not effects.

Further findings

Prevalence of NST-OMI vs STEMI patterns

overall

among CAG-confirmed OMI cases

underwent CAG

30-day survival by PR-segment prolongation

ComparisonaOR (CI)P value
PR-segment prolongation · after multivariable adjustment; reduced 30-day survival · multivariable adjustment0.977 (0.956–0.998)P = 0.032
  • Prevalence of NST-OMI vs STEMI patterns: CAG: p = 0.002
  • ECG features, non-survivors vs survivors: non-survivors PR-segment 74 · QRS-duration 130 · P-wave duration 105
  • ECG features, non-survivors vs survivors: survivors PR-segment 57 · QRS-duration 108 · P-wave duration 108
  • ECG features, non-survivors vs survivors: PR-segment p = 0.008
  • ECG features, non-survivors vs survivors: QRS-duration p = 0.003
  • ECG features, non-survivors vs survivors: P-wave duration p = 0.027

30-day mortality among NST-OMI patients not undergoing CAG

highest 30-day mortality, NST-OMI patients not undergoing CAG
75%
  • p = 0.005

Original publication

The post-ROSC ECG: morphological spectrum of non-ST-elevation occlusion and prognostic markers after cardiac arrest. Resuscitation. Published 25 September 2026. doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2026.111334

Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it