ASAIO journal : a peer-reviewed journal of the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs
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Meta Analysis
Use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for adults in cardiac arrest (E-CPR): a meta-analysis of observational studies.
Published data on the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) as a supportive measure during or immediately after cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in adults (older than 18 years) shows mixed results. To assess the clinical outcomes of the use of ECMO in this modality and to look for predictors of mortality, we performed a meta-analysis (MA) of individual patients collected from observational studies. An electronic PubMed search restricted to English-language publications between 1990 and 2007, using a consensus restrictive criterion, retrieved 141 titles. ⋯ There was a negative trend in survival when manual CPR lasted >30 minutes without prompt ECMO initiation (OR 1.9; 95% CL, 0.9-4.2). This work confirms the expectations for a better survival when E-CPR is used in younger patients, for shorter periods of time and after expeditious implementation during or immediately after manual CPR. Neurologic sequelae and other major complications, although suspected to be high, are poorly described in the reviewed literature.