Background: Pollution has been suggested as a precipitating factor for cardiovascular diseases. However, data about the link between air pollution and the risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) are limited and controversial. Methods: By collecting data both in the OHCA registry and in the database of the regional agency for environmental protection (ARPA) of the Lombardy region, all medical OHCAs and the mean daily concentration of pollutants including fine particulate matter (PM₁₀, PM_2.5), benzene (C₆H₆), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), sulphur dioxide (SO₂), and ozone (O₃) were considered from January 1^st to December 31^st, 2019 in the southern part of the Lombardy region (provinces of Pavia, Lodi, Cremona and Mantua; 7863 km2; about 1550000 inhabitants). Days were divided into high or low incidence of OHCA according to the median value. A Probit dose-response analysis and both uni- and multivariable logistic regression models were provided for each pollutant. Results: The concentrations of all the pollutants were significantly higher in days with high incidence of OHCA except for O₃, which showed a significant countertrend. After correcting for temperature, a significant dose-response relationship was demonstrated for all the pollutants examined. All the pollutants were also strongly associated with high incidence of OHCA in multivariable analysis with correction for temperature, humidity, and day-to-day concentration changes. Conclusions: Our results clarify the link between pollutants and the acute risk of cardiac arrest suggesting the need of both improving the air quality and integrating pollution data in future models for the organization of emergency medical services.

Background. Devices for mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) are recommended when high quality CPR cannot be provided. Different devices are available, but the literature is poor in direct comparison studies. Our aim was to assess whether the type of mechanical chest compressor could affect the probability of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and 30-day survival in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) patients as compared to manual standard CPR. Methods. We considered all OHCAs that occurred from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2022 in seven provinces of the Lombardy region equipped with three different types of mechanical compressor: Autopulse^®(ZOLL Medical, MA), LUCAS^® (Stryker, MI), and Easy Pulse^® (Schiller, Switzerland). Results. Two groups, 2146 patients each (manual and mechanical CPR), were identified by propensity-score-based random matching. The rates of ROSC (15% vs. 23%, p < 0.001) and 30-day survival (6% vs. 14%, p < 0.001) were lower in the mechanical CPR group. After correction for confounders, Autopulse^® [OR 2.1, 95%CI (1.6–2.8), p < 0.001] and LUCAS^® [OR 2.5, 95%CI (1.7–3.6), p < 0.001] significantly increased the probability of ROSC, and Autopulse^® significantly increased the probability of 30-day survival compared to manual CPR [HR 0.9, 95%CI (0.8–0.9), p = 0.005]. Conclusion. Mechanical chest compressors could increase the rate of ROSC, especially in case of prolonged resuscitation. The devices were dissimilar, and their different performances could significantly influence patient outcomes. The load-distributing-band device was the only mechanical chest able to favorably affect 30-day survival.

Background: The relationship between COVID-19 and out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs) has been shown during different phases of the first pandemic wave, but little is known about how to predict where cardiac arrests will increase in case of a third peak. Aim: To seek for a correlation between the OHCAs and COVID-19 daily incidence both during the two pandemic waves at a provincial level. Methods: We considered all the OHCAs occurred in the provinces of Pavia, Lodi, Cremona, Mantua and Varese, in Lombardy Region (Italy), from 21/02/2020 to 31/12/2020. We divided the study period into period 1, the first 157 days after the outbreak and including the first pandemic wave and period 2, the second 158 days including the second pandemic wave. We calculated the cumulative and daily incidence of OHCA and COVID-19 for the whole territory and for each province for both periods. Results: A significant correlation between the daily incidence of COVID-19 and the daily incidence of OHCAs was observed both during the first and the second pandemic period in the whole territory (R = 0.4, p<0.001 for period 1 and 2) and only in those provinces with higher COVID-19 cumulative incidence (period 1: Cremona R = 0.3, p = 0.001; Lodi R = 0.4, p<0.001; Pavia R = 0.3; p = 0.01; period 2: Varese R = 0.4, p<0.001). Conclusions: Our results suggest that strictly monitoring the pandemic trend may help in predict which territories will be more likely to experience an OHCAs’ increase. That may also serve as a guide to re-allocate properly health resources in case of further pandemic waves.

Background: Cangrelor provides rapid platelet inhibition, making it a potential option for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survivors undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, clinical data on its use after OHCA are limited. This study investigates in-hospital outcomes of cangrelor use in this population. Methods: We conducted a prospective, observational study involving OHCA patients from the Lombardia CARe Registry (January 2015–December 2022) who underwent PCI in seven centers in Northern Italy. Propensity score (PS) matching compared patients who received cangrelor to those who did not. Logistic regression tested associations between cangrelor and discharge outcomes. Results: Of 612 OHCA patients admitted, 414 (67.4%) underwent PCI with known antithrombotic therapy, of whom 34 (8.2%) received cangrelor. Radial access was more common in the cangrelor group, which also had a higher troponin peak and a final TIMI flow grade of 3. Survival at discharge was 82.4% in the cangrelor group, compared to 65.3% in the no-cangrelor group (p = 0.043). Univariable logistic regression showed that cangrelor use was associated with higher survival at discharge (OR 2.5; 95% CI: 1.1–6.1, p = 0.049). After multiple PS matchings, cangrelor remained associated with better survival (OR 2.07; 95% CI: 1.16–2.98). Major bleeding rates were higher in the cangrelor group, even after adjusting for baseline bleeding risk (OR: 7.0; 95% CI: 2.9–17.0; p < 0.001). Conclusions: In OHCA patients undergoing PCI, cangrelor use was linked to improved in-hospital survival but higher major bleeding, suggesting a potential net clinical benefit.

Background. The survival benefit of complete versus infarct-related artery (IRA)-only revascularization during the index hospitalization in patients resuscitated from an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) with multivessel disease is unknown. Methods. We considered all the OHCA patients prospectively enrolled in the Lombardia Cardiac Arrest Registry (Lombardia CARe) from 1 January 2015 to 1 May 2021 who underwent coronary angiography (CAG) at the Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo (Pavia). Patients’ prehospital, angiographical and survival data were reviewed. Results. Out of 239 patients, 119 had a multivessel coronary disease: 69% received IRA-only revascularization, and 31% received a complete revascularization: 8 during the first procedure and 29 in a staged-procedure after a median time of 5 days [IQR 2.5–10.3]. The complete revascularization group showed significantly higher one-year survival with good neurological outcome than the IRA-only group (83.3% vs. 30.4%, p < 0.001). After correcting for cardiac arrest duration, shockable presenting rhythm, peak of Troponin-I, creatinine on admission and the need for circulatory support, complete revascularization was independently associated with the probability of death and poor neurological outcome [HR 0.3 (95%CI 0.1–0.8), p = 0.02]. Conclusions. This observation study shows that complete myocardial revascularization during the index hospitalization improves one-year survival with good neurological outcome in patients resuscitated from an OHCA with multivessel coronary disease.