Successful Outcome of Cardiac Arrest Refractory to Advanced Cardiac Life Support Using Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation

Abstract

Emergency cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) for patients experiencing cardiac arrest or cardiogenic shock refractory to standard advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) can improve survival outcomes. We report the successful resuscitation of a 66-year-old male with previous heart transplant who experienced cardiac arrest following a local injection of bupivicaine after an uneventful herniorrhaphy. He was managed with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and ACLS for 90 minutes before initiating CPB. He regained a normal perfusing rhythm and sustained no neurological deficits. Emergent CPB can be life-saving for patients in cardiac arrest or cardiogenic shock even after prolonged CPR.




J Med Cases. 2010;1(2):74-76
doi: https://doi.org/10.4021/jmc57e