Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a large tertiary center in the Czech Republic: three years' experience and future directions.

Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: Prehospital or In-Hospital Cannulation?

trauma T he American Heart Association Resuscitation Science Symposium (ReSS) was held virtually from November 13 to 15, 2021. This report summarizes ReSS programming, including awards, special sessions, and workshops and scientific content organized by topic (ie, intra-arrest and postarrest care) and plenary session. Subsequent sections include special circumstances of arrest, survivorship, and new developments in mechanical circulatory support. Lastly, selected abstracts and laboratory science are summarized before a concluding year in review.

BackgroundWe investigated the relationship between neurological outcomes and duration from cardiac arrest (CA) to the initiation of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) (CA-to-ECMO) in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) treated with extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) and determined the ideal time at which ECPR should be performed.MethodsDuring the time period in which this study was conducted, 3451 patients experienced OHCA. This study finally included 79 patients aged 18 years or older whose OHCA had been witnessed and who underwent ECPR in the emergency room between January 2011 and December 2015. Our primary endpoint was survival to hospital discharge with good neurological outcomes (a cerebral performance category of 1 or 2).ResultsOf the 79 patients included, 11 had good neurological outcomes. The median duration from CA-to-ECMO was significantly shorter in the good neurological outcome group (33 min, interquartile range [IQR], 27–50 vs. 46 min, IQR, 42–56: p = 0.03). After controlling for potential confounders, we found that the adjusted odds ratio of CA-to-ECMO time for a good neurological outcome was 0.92 (95% confidence interval: 0.87–0.98, p = 0.007). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of CA-to-ECMO for predicting a good neurological outcome was 0.71, and the optimal CA-to-ECMO cutoff time was 40 min. The dynamic probability of survival with good neurological outcomes based on CA-to-ECMO time showed that the survival rate with good neurological outcome decreased abruptly from over 30% to approximately 15% when the CA-to-ECMO time exceeded 40 min.DiscussionIn this study, CA-to-ECMO time was significantly shorter among patients with good neurological outcomes, and significantly associated with good neurological outcomes at hospital discharge. In addition, the probability of survival with good neurological outcome decreased when the CA-to-ECMO time exceeded 40 minutes. The indication for ECPR for patients with OHCA should include several factors. However, the duration of CPR before the initiation of ECMO is a key factor and an independent factor for good neurological outcomes in patients with OHCA treated with ECPR. Therefore, the upper limit of CA-to-ECMO time should be inevitably included in the indication for ECPR for patients with OHCA. In the present study, there was a large difference in the rate of survival to hospital discharge with good neurological outcome between the patients with a CA-to-ECMO time within 40 minutes and those whose time was over 40 minutes. Based on the present study, the time limit of the duration of CPR before the initiation of ECMO might be around 40 minutes. We should consider ECPR in patients with OHCA if they are relatively young, have a witness and no terminal disease, and the initiation of ECMO is presumed to be within this time period.ConclusionsThe duration from CA-to-ECMO was significantly associated with good neurological outcomes. The indication for patients with OHCA should include a criterion for the ideal time to initiate ECPR.

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Background: Prolonged conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation (C-CPR) is associated with a poor prognosis in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients. Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (E-CPR) has been utilized as a rescue strategy for patients with cardiac arrest unresponsive to C-CPR. However, the indication and optimal duration to switch from C-CPR to E-CPR are not well established. In addition, the opportunities to develop teamwork skills and expertise to mitigate risks are few. We thus developed the implementation protocol for the E-CPR simulation program, and investigated whether the faster deployment of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) improves the neurological outcome in patients with refractory OHCA. Methods: A total of 42 consecutive patients (age 58±16 years, male ratio 90%, and initial shockable rhythm 64%) received E-CPR (3% of OHCA) during the study period. Among them, 32 (76%) were deployed ECMO during the pre-intervention time period (Pre: from January 2012 to September 2017), whereas 10 (24%) were deployed during the post-intervention time period (Post: October 2017 to May 2019). We compared the door to E-CPR time, collapse to E-CPR time, 30-day mortality, and favorable neurological outcome (Cerebral Performance Categories 1, 2) between the two periods. Results: There was no significant difference in age, the rates of male sex and shockable rhythm, and the time form collapse to emergency room admission between the two periods. The door to E-CPR time and the collapse to E-CPR time were significantly shorter in the post-intervention period compared to the pre-intervention period (Pre: 39 min [IQR; 30-50] vs. Post: 29 min [IQR; 22-31]; P=0.007, Pre: 76 min [IQR; 58-87] vs. Post: 59 min [IQR; 44-68]; P=0.02, respectively). The 30-day mortality was similar between the two periods (Pre: 88% vs. Post: 80%; P=0.6). In contrast, the rate of favorable neurological outcome at the time of discharge was significantly higher in post-intervention period (Pre: 0% vs. Post: 20%; P=0.01) compared to the pre-intervention period. Conclusion: A comprehensive simulation-based training for E-CPR seems to improve the neurological outcome in patients with refractory OHCA patients.

ObjectiveTo assess the feasibility of delivering extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) in refractory out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) by low volume extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) centers and to explore pre‐ECPR predictors of survival.MethodsBetween 2016 and 2020, we studied 21 ECPR patients admitted in 2 tertiary ECMO centers in Liège, Belgium. Our ECPR protocol was based on 6 prehospital criteria (no flow < 3 minutes, low flow < 60 minutes, initial shockable rhythm, end‐tidal CO2 > 15 mmHg, age < 65 years, and absence of comorbidities). A dedicated training, prehospital checklist and call number for 24/7 ECMO team assistance were implemented. Hemodynamics and blood gases on admission also were assessed.ResultsTwenty‐one (28%) out of 75 refractory OHCA patients referred were treated by ECPR, with a hospital survival rate of 43% (n = 9/21), comparable to ECPR results from the international extracorporeal life support organization registry. Transient return of spontaneous circulation before ECPR (89% in survivors vs 17% in non‐survivors, P = 0.002) and higher initial serum bicarbonate (med [P25‐P75] 14.0 [10.6–15.2] vs 7.5 [3.7–10.5] mmol/L, P = 0.019) or lower initial base deficit (14.9 [11.9–18.2] vs 21.6 [17.9–28.9] mmol/L, P = 0.039) were associated with a more favorable outcome.ConclusionIn low volume ECMO centers, the implementation of a specific ECPR protocol for refractory OHCA patients is feasible and provides potential clinical benefit. Highly selective inclusion criteria seem essential to select candidates for ECPR. Initial serum bicarbonate and base deficit integrating cumulative cell failure may be relevant pre‐ECMO prognostic factors and require larger‐scale evaluation.

Bystander-initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation can curb the deterioration of regional cerebral oxygen saturation on hospital arrival in patients with cardiac arrest

Introduction: Decisions regarding extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (E-CPR) for patients after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) are difficult to make. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that regional brain oxygen saturation (rSO2) value monitoring in the emergency room was useful for speculating on brain damage severity for prognostication for E-CPR after OHCA. Methods: The J-POP registry is a prospective multicenter cohort study to test whether rSO2 predicts neurological outcomes after nontraumatic OHCA. We measured rSO2 values in OHCA patients immediately after hospital arrival with a near-infrared spectrometer placed on the forehead. The primary endpoint was neurological outcome (cerebral performance category: 1, 2) 90 days after OHCA. Results: We consecutively enrolled 1,921 OHCA patients. After 90 days, 79 (4%) patients had good neurological outcomes and a median lower rSO2 level of 15% (95% confidence interval (CI): 15-20%). Receiver operating curve analysis indicated an optimal rSO2 cutoff point was about 40% for predicting good neurological outcome (area under curve = 0.91 [95% CI: 0.90 - 0.92], P &lt; 0.01). Compared to patients without return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) upon arrival at the hospital, those with ROSC had significantly higher rSO2 levels (56% [95% CI: 39-65%] vs. 15% [95% CI: 15-17%], respectively; P &lt; 0.01). In patients without ROSC upon arrival at the hospital (n=1773), the percentage of patients with a good 90-day neurological outcome increased significantly in proportion to their rSO2 levels upon arrival at the hospital (P &lt; 0.01, Figure). In patients with E-CPR (n=121), the percentage of patients with a good 90-day neurological outcome increased significantly if their rSO2 levels upon arrival at the hospital was &gt;40% (5/16, 31% vs 6/105, 6%, P &lt; 0.01). Conclusions: rSO2 value monitoring in the emergency room was useful for speculating on brain damage severity for prognostication for E-CPR after OHCA.

Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation – Focusing on the truly refractory cardiac arrest population

Long-Term Neurological Outcome of Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Patients With Nonshockable Rhythms: A Single-Center, Consecutive, Retrospective Observational Study

Introduction: Previous studies have shown an association between hyperoxemia and mortality in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients after cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR); however, the evidence is lacking in patients receiving extracorporeal CPR (ECPR). Hypothesis: To test the hypothesis that hyperoxemia is associated with poor neurological outcome in patients treated by ECPR. Methods: The Japanese Association for Acute Medicine - OHCA (JAAM-OHCA) Registry is a multicenter, prospective, observational registry including 34,754 OHCA patients between 2014 and 2017. Patients who had been resuscitated and survived 24 hours after OHCA and had a PaO 2 levels above 60 mmHg were included. Eligible patients were divided into 2 groups by each 2 definition according to the PaO 2 levels measured from arterial blood gas analysis 24-h after the ECPR, (1) High-level of PaO 2 (H-PaO 2 , n=242) as PaO 2 ≥ 157 mmHg (median) and control (n=211) as 60 &lt; PaO 2 &lt; 157 mmHg, (2) hyperoxemia (HO, n=80) as PaO 2 ≥ 300 mmHg and control (n=373) as 60 &lt; PaO 2 &lt; 300 mmHg. The primary and secondary outcomes were the favorable neurological outcome, defined as Cerebral Performance Categories (CPC) Scale 1-2, and survival at 30 days after OHCA, respectively. Results: Out of 34,754 patients with OHCA, 453 patients with ECPR were included. The number of CPC 1-2 was significantly lower in the H-PaO 2 and HO group compared with each control group (H-PaO 2 : 17.4% vs. 33.2%; Odds ratio [OR] 0.42; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.27-0.66; P&lt;0.0001, HO: 8.8% vs. 28.2%; OR 0.24; 95% CI 0.11-0.55; P&lt;0.001). The 30-day survival was lower in these high oxygen groups (H-PaO 2 : 39.3% vs. 57.4%; OR 0.48; 95% CI 0.33-0.70; P&lt;0.0001, HO: 25.0% vs. 52.6%; OR 0.30; 95% CI 0.17-0.52; P&lt;0.0001). After adjusting for potential confounders, the H-PaO 2 and HO were associated with unfavorable neurological outcomes (adjusted OR, H-PaO 2 ; 2.71; 95% CI 1.16-6.30; P=0.021, HO; 5.76; 95% CI 1.30-25.4; P=0.021). The H-PaO 2 and HO were also associated with poor 30-day survival (adjusted OR, H-PaO 2 ; 2.28; 95% CI 1.13-4.60; P=0.021, HO; 3.75; 95% CI 1.28-11.0; P=0.016). Conclusions: Hyperoxemia was associated with worse neurological outcomes in OHCA patients with ECPR.

Background Refractory cardiac arrest (CA), as defined by the absence of a return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) is associated with poor prognosis. Current guidelines advocate the use of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) for selected patients with CA. Although previous studies have reported the association of survival with some prognostic factors such as age, bystander CPR attempt, low-flow duration or lactate serum level, the impact of the evaluation of coronary artery by coronary angiography (CAG) and the revascularization of coronary artery stenosis have not been sufficiently elucidated. Purpose We sought to investigate impact of the CAG and the revascularization of coronary artery stenosis to predict mortality and neurological outcome at 30 days in out-of-hospital CA (OHCA) patients resuscitated by ECPR. Methods 1382 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients were transferred to our critical care center, of which 899 patients with refractory CA at the emergency department were extracted from the institutional consecutive database between January 2015 and December 2018. Among those patients, we performed ECPR for 85 patients, who were successfully resuscitated. To predict mortality in hospital and neurological outcome at 30 days, we investigated basic patients' characteristics, pre-hospital information, and post-hospital care including CAG and coronary revascularization. Results Among those who had first resuscitated by ECPR, 20 patients (23.5%) survived and 10 patients (11.8%) achieved good neurological outcome (cerebral-performance-category (CPC) =1 or 2) at 30 days. We performed CAG for 40 patients (47.1%) and revascularization by percutaneous coronary intervention for 25 patients (29.4%). Younger age (P=0.037), CAG (P=0.001), PCI (P=0.001), and hypothermia therapy (P&lt;0.001) were associated with low mortality. In the multivariate analysis, age (Odds ratio (OR) 0.95; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.91–0.99; P=0.0025), PCI (OR 4.5; 95% CI 1.15–17.6; P=0.031), and hypothermia therapy (OR 13.7; 95% CI 1.52–124; P=0.020) were independent predictors of 30-days survival. Without diabetes mellitus (P=0.024), CAG (P&lt;0.001), PCI (P=0.006), and hypothermia therapy (P=0.038) were associated with good neurological outcome. PCI (OR 7.39; 95% CI 1.73–31.6; P&lt;0.001) was independently predictive for good neurological outcome. Conclusions Successful PCI was an independent predictor of 30-days survival and good neurological outcome in OHCA patients who were resuscitated by ECPR.

To compare the influences of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) and conventional or mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CCPR/MCPR) on survival rate and neurological outcome for adult patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), and to assess the effect of ECPR. Databases such as Medline, Embase, ScienceDirect, HighWire, Cochrane Library, Wanfang Database and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were searched from January 2000 to October 2018 to retrieve clinical trials on comparison of the effect of ECPR and CCPR/MCPR on survival rate and neurological outcome of adult patients with OHCA. Thereafter, the studies retrieved were based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were extracted and the quality of the included studies was evaluated by two researchers. A meta-analysis was performed by using RevMan 5.3 software. Sensitivity analysis was used to evaluate the stability of the results, and funnel plot was used to evaluate publication bias. A total of 12 studies and 2 519 patients were enrolled, including 615 patients receiving ECPR and 1 904 patients receiving CCPR/MCPR. Meta-analysis showed that compared with CCPR/MCPR, ECPR could not improve the short-term (at hospital discharge or within 1 month) survival rate in patients with OHCA [odds ratio (OR) = 2.26, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) = 0.95-5.41, P = 0.07], but could increase long-term (at more than 3 months) survival rate (OR = 3.56, 95%CI = 1.65-7.71, P = 0.001), rate of good neurological outcome at hospital discharge [Glasgow-Pittsburgh cerebral performance categories (CPC) 1-2 was defined as good neurological function; OR = 3.39, 95%CI = 1.73-6.62, P = 0.000 4], and rate of good long-term neurological outcome (OR = 3.45, 95%CI = 2.24-5.32, P < 0.000 01). Sensitivity analysis showed that the overall results did not change significantly, whether using fixed-effect model and random-effect model to analyze the differences of each effect index, or excluding one study with fewer than 50 subjects for data analysis, indicating that the results were more stable. The funnel plot suggested that there was no publication bias in the studies. But due to the small number of studies, the publication bias could not be excluded. ECPR could not improve the short-term survival rate at hospital discharge or within 1 month in patients with OHCA, but could increase long-term survival rate at more than 3 months, good neurological outcome at hospital discharge and long-term neurological outcome.

Resuscitation highlights in 2013: Part 2

Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation versus conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation in adults with cardiac arrest: a comparative meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis