Head-to-pelvis CT imaging after sudden cardiac arrest: Current status and future directions

Causes for sudden circulatory arrest (SCA) can vary widely making early treatment and triage decisions challenging. Additionally, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), while a life-saving link in the chain of survival, can be associated with traumatic injuries. Computed tomography (CT) can identify many causes of SCA as well as its sequelae. However, the diagnostic and therapeutic impact of CT in survivors of SCA has not been reviewed to date. This general review outlines the rationale and potential applications of focused head, chest, and abdomen/pelvis CT as well as comprehensive head-to-pelvis CT imaging after SCA. CT has a diagnostic yield approaching 30% to identify causes of SCA while the addition of ECG-gated chest CT provides further information about coronary anatomy and cardiac function. Risks of CT include radiation exposure, contrast-induced kidney injury, and incidental findings. This review's findings suggest that routine head-to-pelvis CT can yield clinically actional findings with the potential to improve clinical outcome after SCA that merits further investigation.

Automated summary

Causes for sudden circulatory arrest (SCA) can vary widely, making early treatment and triage decisions challenging. Computed tomography (CT) can identify many causes of SCA as well as its sequelae, with a diagnostic yield approaching 30%. This review suggests that routine head-to-pelvis CT can yield clinically actionable findings that have the potential to improve clinical outcome after SCA, but it is important to consider the risks of CT such as radiation exposure and contrast-induced kidney injury.