Despite improvements in resuscitation, survival after refractory out-of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remains extremely low (<2%).
Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) has been a major advancement in the (OHCA). In ECPR, the patient is rapidly connected to a pump during CPR to restore organ perfusion. Survival in selected populations has increased from <2% to 17-30%. However current models of ECPR require patients to be moved from the scene of arrest to the hospital, resulting in significant time delays, worse outcomes, and reduced access to ECPR for many patients.
The phase 2 SHERPA RCT will test the feasibility and safety of transporting the ECPR team to scene of the OHCA patient. This will potentially radically reduce the time to initiate ECPR, and could lead to dramatic improvements in outcomes.
With an internationally recognised research team and infrastructure, this study will provide key ground work for a large practice changing multi-centre trial, that could lead to saving of lives of 1000s of patients world wide.
Last updated17 January 2023