Mayo Clinic teams, first responders introduce new protocol for cardiac arrest patients

Feb. 15—ROCHESTER — Local first responders and Mayo Clinic teams are changing the way they respond to cardiac arrest patients by including new protocols to identify patients that would benefit from early access to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation — often referred to as an ECMO machine.

An ECMO machine is a device that takes over heart and lung functions. The machine is similar to the heart-lung bypass machine used in open heart surgery. Over the years, the technology has improved and found to have wider application than just in surgery.

Research has shown for a small subset of cardiac patients, an ECMO can act as a bridge in an hospital emergency room for "interventions that can help the patient most," said Dr. Anuradha Luke, medical director for Mayo Clinic ambulance.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/mayo-clinic-teams-first-responders-010300304.html