ABSTRACT
Abstract Mechanical ventilation in prone position is an alternative strategy for patients with acute respiratory discomfort syndrome (ARDS) to improve oxygenation in situations when traditional ventilation modalities have failed. However, due to the significant increase in ARDS cases during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the experimental therapeutic use of potentially arrhythmogenic drugs, cardiopulmonary resuscitation in this unusual position could be needed. Therefore, we will review the available scientific evidence of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in prone position.
Subject(s)
Humans , Prone Position , Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation/methods , Respiration, Artificial/methods , Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn/therapy , Electric Countershock/methods , Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation/instrumentationABSTRACT
SUMMARY The extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a procedure that has been used for a long time in reference centers worldwide. Its fundamental precept is to serve as a bridge to a definitive treatment in patients with severe, but potentially reversible, clinical conditions. Despite this, its use in cardiopulmonary arrest (ECPR) is still a matter of debate, especially when indicated in the emergency department. There is not yet a sufficient level of evidence to support its routine use. In Brasil, the procedure stopped being considered an experimental technique by the Federal Council of Medicine only in 2017. The objective of the present case is to share the pioneering spirit of a Brazilian reference center with ECPR in the emergency room and to discuss the future challenges of the ECMO technique.