A Second Chance for Survival: Clinical Trial Evidence, Eligibility, and Barriers to Implementation of ECPR for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

Abstrakt

Unfortunately, < 10% out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) survive to hospital discharge. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)-assisted cardiopulmo-nary resuscitation (ECPR), providing emergent cardio-pulmonary support, is a promising but resource-intensive and logistically complex therapy that may improve OHCA outcomes.

Until recently, available evidence was limited to observational studies. However, 2 randomized clinical trials now provide supporting data for experienced ECMO centres to consider offering this treatment.