Early Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Refractory Cardiac Arrest

In a small study, 25% of patients who received intensive early ECMO with hypothermia survived with good neurological outcomes, but there was no comparison group.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) can improve systemic perfusion and reduce the extent of cerebral injury after cardiac arrest. Researchers report 1 year of experience with ECMO initiation within 1 hour after prehospital or in-hospital cardiac arrest at a single hospital in Belgium.

Eligible patients were younger than 65 years, weighed at least 30 kg, had no major comorbidities, and had witnessed arrest with cardiopulmonary resuscitation started within 5 minutes of the call and no return of spontaneous circulation within 10 minutes. Patients received intra-arrest therapeutic hypothermia upon initiation of ECMO. Percutaneous coronary intervention was performed just after ECMO was initiated in hemodynamically stable patients with susp…

Reviewing Author

Kristi L. Koenig, MD, FACEP, FIFEM

Disclosures

Editorial boardsKoenig & Schultz's Disaster Medicine: Comprehensive Principles and Practices

Kristi L. Koenig, MD, FACEP, FIFEM

Disclosures

Editorial boardsKoenig & Schultz's Disaster Medicine: Comprehensive Principles and Practices

Early Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Refractory Cardiac Arrest

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Reviewing Author