Improved outcome of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest - A comparison with that for extracorporeal rescue for in-hospital cardiac arrest

Purpose: The aim was to investigate the effects of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and compare the results with those of in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA). Methods: We analyzed our extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) results for patients who received ECPR for OHCA or IHCA in the last 5 years. Pre-arrest, resuscitation, and post-resuscitative data were evaluated. Results: In the last 5 years, ECPR was used 230 times for OHCA (n = 31) and IHCA (n = 199). The basic demographic data showed significant differences in age, cardiomyopathy, and location of the initial CPR. Duration of ischemia was shorter in the IHCA group (44.4 +/- 24.7 min vs. 67.5 +/- 30.6 min, p < 0.05). About 50% of each group underwent a further intervention to treat the underlying etiology. ECMO was maintained for a shorter duration in the OHCA patients (61 +/- 48 h vs. 94 +/- 122 h, p < 0.05). Survival to discharge was similar in the two groups (38.7% for OHCA vs. 31.2% for IHCA, p > 0.05), as was the favorable outcome rate (25.5% for OHCA vs. 25.1% for IHCA, p > 0.05). Survival was acceptable (about 33%) in both groups when the duration of ischemia was no longer than 75 min. Conclusions: In addition to having a beneficial effect in IHCA, ECPR can lead to survival and a positive neurological outcome in selected OHCA patients after prolonged resuscitation. Our results suggest that further investigation of the use of ECMO in OHCA is warranted. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.