ECPR

ECPR, or Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, is an advanced emergency procedure used during cardiac arrest when standard CPR isn’t restoring blood flow. It involves rapidly connecting a patient to a machine called a ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation), which temporarily takes over the heart and lung functions. This allows oxygen-rich blood to circulate through the body, giving doctors more time to identify and treat the underlying cause of the arrest. ECPR is typically used in specialized centers for patients with reversible conditions and has shown promise in improving survival rates when performed promptly.