Therapeutic hypothermia with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and surface cooling in post-cardiac arrest patients: 4 case reports.

BACKGROUND

Therapeutic hypothermia has been recently approved to show benefits for neurological outcomes in patients after cardiac arrest. Application of both ECMO and surface coolingfor treatment of therapeutic hypothermia has not yet been reported in the literature. We reported four cases that experienced in-hospital cardiac arrest during ECMO application treated with therapeutic hypothermia under surface cooling at Thammasat University Hospital.

CASE REPORTS

Four cases ofin-hospital cardiac arrest during ECMO application were treated with therapeutic hypothermia under surface cooling with similar machine. The characteristics ofeach patient were described. The core temperature control during treatment was reported with temperature curves. A Glasgow coma score was used as index for neurological outcome

CONCLUSION

Application of surface cooling together with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is safe and feasible. Both devices facilitate treatment with therapeutic hypothermia in patients with post-cardiac arrest.