The impact of peri-shock pause on survival from out-of-hospital shockable cardiac arrest during the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium PRIMED trial

Background: Previous research has demonstrated significant relationships between peri-shock pause and survival to discharge from out-of-hospital shockable cardiac arrest (OHCA). Objective: To determine the impact of peri-shock pause on survival from OHCA during the ROC PRIMED randomized controlled trial. Methods: We included patients in the ROC PRIMED trial who suffered OHCA between June 2007 and November 2009, presented with a shockable rhythm and had CPR process data for at least one shock. We used multivariable logistic regression to determine the association between peri-shock pause duration and survival to hospital discharge. Results: Among 2006 patients studied, the median (IQR) shock pause duration was: pre-shock pause 15. s (8, 22); post-shock pause 6. s (4, 9); and peri-shock pause 22.0. s (14, 31). After adjusting for Utstein predictors of survival as well as CPR quality measures, the odds of survival to hospital discharge were significantly higher for patients with pre-shock pause <10. s (OR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.09, 2.11) and peri-shock pause <20. s (OR: 1.82, 95% CI: 1.17, 2.85) when compared to patients with pre-shock pause ≥20. s and peri-shock pause ≥40. s. Post-shock pause was not significantly associated with survival to hospital discharge. Results for neurologically intact survival (Modified Rankin Score. ≤. 3) were similar to our primary outcome. Conclusions: In patients with cardiac arrest presenting in a shockable rhythm during the ROC PRIMED trial, shorter pre- and peri-shock pauses were significantly associated with higher odds of survival. Future cardiopulmonary education and technology should focus on minimizing all peri-shock pauses.