Posted on 03/05/2023 3:44:17 PM PST by ConservativeMind
Among emergency department patients with severe hypothermia and cardiac arrest, survival was significantly higher with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) versus conventional rewarming. Further, among all hypothermic patients, ECMO use was associated with faster rewarming than conventional methods.
That is the conclusion of a study.
The lead author of the study is Matthew E. Prekker, MD, MPH, medical director of the ECMO Program at Hennepin County Medical Center, Department of Emergency Medicine. In the study, Prekker, et. al., present the outcomes of 25 patients with severe hypothermia, treated with ECMO, and compare them with a contemporaneous group of 19 patients treated with usual active rewarming methods.
The study outcomes suggest an enormous effect size (71% versus 29%, absolute difference 42%, 95% CI 4%–82%) of ECMO for survival among hypothermic patients with pulselessness.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
Huge survival difference!
How many ambulances have an ECMO machine? How to justify that cost for a couple of uses per year?
Has to deal done in hospital. Extremely technical procedure.
That’s what I thought
No ambulance in the world has an ECMO machine.
Where did you come up with that?
Drive thru ECMO?
I was thinking that this had to be done by a specialist, so if you are taken to a hospital where a pulmonologist and cardiac surgeon are standing by, you are good to go.
Yes, ecmo is essentially the same as the bypass pump you are on during open heart surgery. The machine oxygenates the blood to give the heart, lungs and other organs a chance to recover.
—”Drive thru ECMO?”
Thank you!
That made my night.
My two stepson’s father was on an ECMO for about 8 days but could not be saved and died from complications of influenza at 47 years old. Visited a number of times when he was on the machine and the ECMO room is quite intimidating. Never have seen so much equipment in a single room before.
The cost of ECMO and related staff is about $30,000 per day so I was pretty sure the comparison study was done in the United States. I don’t think European countries would even entertain the idea of saving someone at that cost. Hope I’m wrong.
That is such a sad story, and I am very glad you are there for the family.
Life can be so tragic. No one thinks the flu will do that to them.
Obi Njueabuiji a surgical resident, dreams that in the future they will, according to the article which is a blog post.
Not quite the same as doing it. I’m calling BS.
The lead author of the study is Matthew E. Prekker, MD, MPH, medical director of the ECMO Program at Hennepin County Medical Center, Department of Emergency Medicine
Don’t know here you picked up the other name
Even so residents write papers. They are docs and are supervised
OK. They’re setting up ECMO out in the field.
Sounds good. 👍
Oh I agree. It is unlikely to be available for most cases
Still is an interesting bit of research
Yes, it was devastating for my stepsons and the rest of his family.
Thank you so much for your kind words.
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