The role of extracorporeal life support in cardiopulmonary resuscitation

The frequency of the administration of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation is increasing both in the treat-ment of in-hospital and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The latest resuscitation guidelines support the use of me-chanical circulatory support devices in the cases of prolonged cardiopulmonary resuscitation in certain selected pa-tient groups. However, only little evidence is available regarding the effectiveness of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and many open questions remained unanswered regarding the adequate conditions of this modality. The timing and location of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation are important factors, as well as the appro-priate training of the personnel using extracorporeal techniques. Our review briefly summarizes, according to the current literature and recommendations, in which cases extracorporeal resuscitation may be beneficial, which type of mechanical circulatory support is the first choice of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation, which factors in-fluence the efficacy of this supportive treatment, and which complications may be expected during mechanical circu-latory support during resuscitation.