The impact of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation on cerebral oxygen delivery during cardiac arrest: a case series

AIM: To describe the impact of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) assisted CPR (E-CPR) on cerebral oxygen delivery during in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA). METHODS: Retrospective case series from a tertiary academic medical center. Regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2) was measured continuously using cerebral oximetry in six patients who experienced IHCA. During CPR, the time of E-CPR initiation was recorded, and rSO2 values were subsequently analyzed for a period beginning 5 min before and ending 2.5 min after the initiation of E-CPR. RESULTS: The average rSO(2) value in the 2.5 min period following E-CPR initiation increased by 20.8% as compared to the 5-min period before E-CPR initiation. CONCLUSIONS: ECMO can be employed in parallel with cerebral rSO2 monitoring during CPR for adult IHCA patients. E-CPR is associated with rapid and significant increases in brain oxygen delivery.