Bringing Rapid Reperfusion to More Patients with Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest
Nov 7, 2026DOI: 10.1056/nejme2612650EditorialNEJM
Written by: Demetris Yannopoulos, M.D.
It has taken a long time to move extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) from a method used for late rescue of patients in cardiac arrest toward one used for earlier reperfusion. The priority for ECPR is not to replace high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation or rapid defibrillation but to serve as an alternative intervention while advanced cardiovascular life support efforts continue. When spontaneous circulation cannot be restored promptly, ECPR — using extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) to provide circulation and gas exchange — can buy time to treat the underlying cause of the arrest and support recovery. ECPR is a lifeline and therapeutic bridge, . . .
