Rates of survival with functional recovery for both in-hospital and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest are notably low.
Extra‑ corporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) is emerging as a modality to improve prognosis by augmenting perfusion to vital end-organs by utilizing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) during conventional
CPR and stabilizing the patient for interventions aimed at reversing the aetiology of the arrest.
Implementing this emergent procedure requires a substantial investment in resources, and even the most successful ECPR programs may nonetheless burden healthcare systems, clinicians, patients, and their families with unsalvageable patients supported by extra‑ corporeal devices.
This article looks at the evidence and implications of ECPR currently available.
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