Introduction: There is increasing evidence for extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) as a rescue therapy for selected patients in refractory cardiac arrest (CA). Besides patient selection, the control of reperfusion parameters is of eminent importance. Especially in out-of-hospital CA, monitoring and individualized, targeted reperfusion remains a great challenge for emergency personnel. The CARL® system is designed to enable an early control of a variety of reperfusion parameters and to pursue a targeted reperfusion strategy in ECPR.
Case presentation: We report the first 10 ECPR applications of the CARL® system in Regensburg, Germany. Early blood gas analysis, oxygen titration and pressure monitoring were feasible and enabled an individualized and targeted reperfusion strategy in all patients. After suffering from refractory CA and prolonged resuscitation attempts, five out of the first 10 patients survived and were successfully discharged from the hospital (CPC one on hospital discharge).
Conclusion: Application of the CARL® system contributed to early monitoring and control of reperfusion parameters. Whether targeted ECPR may have the potential to improve outcomes in refractory OHCA remains the subject of future investigations.
Keywords: extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation; ischemia-reperfusion injury; out-of-hospital cardiac arrest; targeted reperfusion.