An interventional study of ECPR in Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation and Cardiac Arrest, sponsored by Erasmus Medical Center. Completed at 4 sites in Netherlands. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 50 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-12-24.
Sponsored by Erasmus Medical Center · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
Hypothesis: Implantation of on-scene ECPR by the HEMS teams in patients with sustained out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, results in the rapid return of circulation and, thus, improved survival and less neurological impairment, which is associated with lower health care costs.
Rationale: Approximately half of all cardiac arrest patients achieve return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) within 10 minutes. However, If ROSC is not achieved within 20 minutes, favourable neurological outcome is rare. Currently, patients without ROSC at scene die at scene, or are transported (while still in cardiac arrest) to the hospital. In the hospital, advanced life support is continued, or, when presented to selected hospitals capable for this strategy, patients receive Extracorporeal CardioPulmonary Resuscitation (ECPR). ECPR is a strategy in which a miniaturized heart-lung machine (similar to that used in open-heart surgery) is attached to the patient. Nowadays, the greatest drawback transporting OHCA patients with refractory arrest to the hospital are the low quality of thorax compression during transport and long time needed to arrive in the hospital, in part because not all hospitals are able to provide this treatment. In the Netherlands, Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) deliver highly specialized medical care to trauma and non-trauma patients, covering the entire country.
Hypothesis: Implantation of on-scene ECPR by the HEMS teams in patients with sustained out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, results in the rapid return of circulation and, thus, improved survival and less neurological impairment, which is associated with lower health care costs.
Objective: To improve survival to hospital discharge and costs/QALY in young patients with OHCA by decreasing the time in cardiac arrest by initiating ECPR on scene.
965 studies on the registry are indexed under Heart Arrest; 225 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 221 is above the median of 100 across 556 interventional studies indexed under Heart Arrest.
Browse Heart Arrest studies →Erasmus Medical Center is the lead sponsor of 466 studies on the registry; 179 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
If age is not exactly known at inclusion and is estimated by the HEMS physician between 18 and 50 years but finally the patient appears to be younger or older, the patient will not be excluded.
Exclusion Criteria:
The following patients will be withdrawn after initial inclusion as soon as the following information becomes available:
In the Netherlands, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is managed by paramedics. In this study, in the conventional arm, OHCA is managed by a physician of the Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS), but without the possibility of prehospital ECPR.
OHCA managed by the physician of the HEMS team, but with the possibility of prehospital ECPR.
Procedure: ECPR
Application of prehospital ECPR
Hospital Survival
(% patients surviving hospital discharge)
Time frame: Hospital discharge (on average 6 weeks)
Favourable neurological outcome (CPC 1-2)
(% of patients at least performing daily life activities independent)
Time frame: 6 months after cardiac arrest
Survival prehospital ECPR vs ECPR at the hospital vs no ECPR
Time frame: Hospital discharge (on average 6 weeks after cardiac arrest)
Plan to share: No
This study is completed, as verified in Dec 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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