This single-centre observational study examined early abdominal CT bowel diameter in 181 patients undergoing ECPR for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The primary endpoint was unfavorable neurological outcome at one month, defined as Cerebral Performance Category 3–5. Overall discrimination was weak: AUC 0.58 (95% confidence interval, 0.47–0.70). Exploratory subgroup AUCs were higher in patients aged 65 years or older (0.83; 95% confidence interval, 0.69–0.96) and those with initial nonshockable rhythms (0.69; 95% confidence interval, 0.47–0.91). Bowel diameter was measured by an investigator blinded to outcomes.
Early CT bowel diameter showed weak overall discrimination for unfavorable neurological outcomes after ECPR. Higher subgroup estimates remain exploratory and do not establish clinical prognostic utility.
Study limitation: The single-centre observational design and exploratory subgroup findings limit generalizability and confidence in prognostic performance.
AI-generated from the published abstract with automated source checks. For research discovery; consult the original paper before applying findings.