BMJ Open (Sep 2023)

Early restricted oxygen therapy after resuscitation from cardiac arrest (ER-OXYTRAC): protocol for a stepped-wedge cluster randomised controlled trial

  • Kazuma Yamakawa,
  • Yasunori Sato,
  • Takashi Tagami,
  • Akira Endo,
  • Hirofumi Nakayama,
  • Takeshi Wada,
  • Masayuki Yagi,
  • Takeshi Yamagiwa,
  • Shinichi Iizuka,
  • Daiki Kaito,
  • Naoya Miura,
  • Ryo Takemura,
  • Kota Shinada,
  • Ginga Suzuki,
  • Keiki Shimizu,
  • Eisei Hoshiyama,
  • Saori Kurata,
  • Ryo Yamamoto,
  • Koichiro Homma,
  • Taku Yonemura,
  • Takayuki Shibusawa,
  • Takahiro Shoji,
  • Jiro Takahashi,
  • Chihiro Narita,
  • Kazunobu Minami,
  • Yoshihisa Fujinami,
  • Yohei Tsubouchi,
  • Mai Natsukawa,
  • Jun Nagayama,
  • Wataru Takayama,
  • Ken Ishikura,
  • Kyoko Yokokawa,
  • Yasuo Fujita,
  • Hideki Tokuyama,
  • Takayuki Taira,
  • Shoki Fukui,
  • Noritaka Ushio,
  • Masaki Nakane,
  • Akihito Tampo,
  • Hisako Sageshima,
  • Hiroki Takami,
  • Hitoshi Kikuchi,
  • Jun Hagiwara,
  • Yumi Funato,
  • Junichi Sasaki,
  • study group ER-OXYTRAC

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-074475
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 9

Abstract

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Introduction Cardiac arrest is a critical condition, and patients often experience postcardiac arrest syndrome (PCAS) even after the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). Administering a restricted amount of oxygen in the early phase after ROSC has been suggested as a potential therapy for PCAS; however, the optimal target for arterial partial pressure of oxygen or peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) to safely and effectively reduce oxygen remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to validate the efficacy of restricted oxygen treatment with 94%–95% of the target SpO2 during the initial 12 hours after ROSC for patients with PCAS.Methods and analysis ER-OXYTRAC (early restricted oxygen therapy after resuscitation from cardiac arrest) is a nationwide, multicentre, pragmatic, single-blind, stepped-wedge cluster randomised controlled trial targeting cases of non-traumatic cardiac arrest. This study includes adult patients with out-of-hospital or in-hospital cardiac arrest who achieved ROSC in 39 tertiary centres across Japan, with a target sample size of 1000. Patients whose circulation has returned before hospital arrival and those with cardiac arrest due to intracranial disease or intoxication are excluded. Study participants are assigned to either the restricted oxygen (titration of a fraction of inspired oxygen with 94%–95% of the target SpO2) or the control (98%–100% of the target SpO2) group based on cluster randomisation per institution. The trial intervention continues until 12 hours after ROSC. Other treatments for PCAS, including oxygen administration later than 12 hours, can be determined by the treating physicians. The primary outcome is favourable neurological function, defined as cerebral performance category 1–2 at 90 days after ROSC, to be compared using an intention-to-treat analysis.Ethics and dissemination This study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board at Keio University School of Medicine (approval number: 20211106). Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants or their legal representatives. Results will be disseminated via publications and presentations.Trial registration number UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN000046914).