Wir überwinden Grenzen

Publication with significant involvement of the University Medical Center Freiburg provides an overview of the use and limitations of extracorporeal resuscitation / Publication in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine

If the heart suddenly stops, every minute counts. High-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can save lives - but is not enough in cases of refractory cardiac arrest. Extracorporeal resuscitation (ECPR) can be a treatment option for selected patients. This involves a machine outside the body replacing the functions of the heart and lungs. At the end of May, an international team of leading scientists published a comprehensive review article on ECPR in the journal The Lancet Respiratory Medicine: PD Dr. Alexander Supady (first author) and Prof. Dr. Dawid Staudacher (co-author), senior physicians at the Interdisciplinary Medical Intensive Care Unit (IMIT), are significantly involved in this publication. The publication promises to make an important contribution to the targeted expansion of this life-saving emergency care by presenting the current state of scientific knowledge and offering concrete recommendations for the establishment of ECPR programs and their implementation.

"This publication impressively demonstrates the potential of ECPR as an addition to the 'chain of survival'. The University Medical Center Freiburg was one of the first hospitals in Germany to offer ECPR in a structured way - today it is firmly established as part of the Cardiac Arrest Center. We are currently working with partner clinics to further expand the service beyond the region," says Prof. Dr. Tobias Wengenmayer, Medical Director of Interdisciplinary Medical Intensive Care at the University Medical Center Freiburg.

With the help of ECPR, time can be gained until the cause of the circulatory arrest - such as a vascular occlusion in the heart or lungs - can be treated. In addition to technical skills, a highly specialized, interdisciplinary treatment team is a basic prerequisite for a successful operation. At the University Hospital, nursing staff, intensive care physicians, internists, emergency physicians, surgeons, neurologists, radiologists and cardiotechnicians work closely together in ECPR. In these circumstances, ECPR could make all the difference: According to studies, up to 30 percent of those affected in specialized hospitals survive a refractory circulatory arrest thanks to ECPR and can return to their old lives.

Link to publication: Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation for refractory cardiac arrest - The Lancet Respiratory Medicine