The Use of Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS) in Sudden Cardiac Death

Abstract

The survival of refractory cardiac arrest is dismal. The use of extracorporeal life support (ECLS), in particular venoarterial type of ECLS, has gained attention in the last decade, which aims at improving the outcome of such disease entity. The implementation of an ECLS-assisted resuscitation (ECPR) programme is a multidisciplinary effort involving extensive collaboration and training. Currently, robust evidence and scientific data on ECPR are pending, and generalized use of such technology cannot be recommended. However, the ongoing high-quality studies will give us a better insight on the impact of ECPR on the outcome of refractory cardiac arrest.