Resuscitation
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We sought to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence and survival outcomes of emergency medical service (EMS)-witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in Victoria, Australia. ⋯ Unlike the reported findings in non-EMS-witnessed OHCA populations, changes during the COVID-19 pandemic did not influence incidence or survival outcomes in EMS-witnessed OHCA. This may suggest that changes in clinical practice that sought to limit the use of aerosol generating procedures did not influence outcomes in these patients.
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Editorial Comment
Pre-arrest frailty and implications for cardiac arrest care.
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eCPR, the modality of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) applied in the setting of cardiac arrest, has emerged as a novel therapy which may improve outcomes in select patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). To date, implementation has been mainly limited to single academic centres. Our objective is to describe the feasibility and challenges with implementation of a regional protocol for eCPR. ⋯ We describe the successful implementation of a regional eCPR program with ongoing patient enrolment and data collection. These preliminary findings can serve as a model for other EMS systems who seek to implement regional eCPR programs.