Provision of ECPR during COVID-19: evidence, equity, and ethical dilemmas.
Elliott WorkuDenzil GillDaniel BrodieRoberto LorussoAlain CombesKiran ShekarPublished in: Critical care (London, England) (2020)
The use of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) to restore circulation during cardiac arrest is a time-critical, resource-intensive intervention of unproven efficacy. The current COVID-19 pandemic has brought additional complexity and significant barriers to the ongoing provision and implementation of ECPR services. The logistics of patient selection, expedient cannulation, healthcare worker safety, and post-resuscitation care must be weighed against the ethical considerations of providing an intervention of contentious benefit at a time when critical care resources are being overwhelmed by pandemic demand.
Keyphrases
- cardiopulmonary resuscitation
- cardiac arrest
- healthcare
- randomized controlled trial
- palliative care
- primary care
- sars cov
- coronavirus disease
- quality improvement
- decision making
- affordable care act
- extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
- case report
- health information
- mental health
- public health
- social media
- chronic pain