Background: The Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) is used to assess early ischemic stroke damage. This study compared bilateral ASPECTS (ASPECTS-b) with the gray: white matter ratio (GWR) and quantitative regional abnormality (QRA) to evaluate the prognostic utility of early computed tomography (CT) findings in post-cardiac arrest patients.

Methods and Results: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients with return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) who underwent brain CT (< 6 h after onset) and therapeutic hypothermia were recruited from a university hospital over a 2-year period. General demographics, ROSC characteristics, ASPECTS-b (total score= 20 points), GWR, and QRA were assessed. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to predict neurologic outcome using cerebral performance category (CPC) at 1 month. The study population was divided into good (n= 20; CPC 1–2) and poor (n= 47; CPC 3–5) outcome groups. The good (vs. poor) outcome group was younger (mean [±SD] age 46.7±11.8 vs. 60.3±17.2 years; P= 0.002) and had more initial shockable rhythms (40.0% vs. 8.5%; P= 0.002). In addition, the good outcome group had a higher mean ASPECTS-b score (15.3±2.7 vs. 9.0±4.9; P< 0.001), despite no differences in QRA and mean GWR. Age and ASPECTS-b were independent predictors of outcome after adjusting for potential confounders.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that an initial CT score (ASPECTS-b) could help estimate early neurologic outcomes in post-cardiac arrest patients treated with therapeutic hypothermia.