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    VA ECMO for extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) in adults in refractory cardiac arrest

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    Description

    Cardiac arrest is when normal blood circulation suddenly stops because the heart does not contract properly. Cardiac arrest can lead to loss of consciousness, respiratory failure and death. Refractory cardiac arrest is when conventional CPR does not work.

    Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO) is when blood is taken out of the body and put through an artificial lung located outside of the body (extracorporeal). The ECMO machine adds oxygen to the blood (oxygenation), removes carbon dioxide and pumps the blood around the body. This is done over days or weeks. Tubes take blood out of the major veins in the groin, neck, or both, and return it through tubes into a large artery (venoarterial).

    Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) is a type of CPR that uses an ECMO machine when conventional CPR does not work. The aim of ECPR is to restore circulation and blood gas exchange, and to allow time for other interventions.