Episode 3 – Who the HELL do we put on ECMO during Arrest?

This episode of the EDECMO Podcast centers on refining the indications for initiating ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) in cardiac arrest patients. The hosts discuss how initial strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, partly influenced by Ken Nagao's work, were broadened over time due to successful cases falling outside those original parameters, such as an aortic dissection case. They address the debate around pre-hospital care, contrasting the "stay-and-play" approach with the potential benefits of rapid transport to specialized resuscitation centers capable of performing ECMO. The hosts also explore a visionary concept of deploying mobile ECMO teams to initiate bypass in the field, potentially using devices like the McKay CardioHelp, to reduce critical downtime.