Coronavirus disease 2019 and ethical considerations for extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation

In their recent letter to the Editor, Drs. Kandori and colleagues suggest against using extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (E-CPR) in cardiac arrest patients with confirmed or suspected coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).1 They argue: (1) potential technical difficulties with E-CPR interventions during resuscitation (e.g. vessel cannulation) while wearing personal protective equipment (PPE); (2) communication problems associated with wearing N95 mask in a negative-pressure isolation room; (3) resuscitation team fears of contracting the disease and “immeasurable physical and emotional fatigue”; and (4) conservation of valuable disposables during the pandemic.
Source: Resuscitation - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Letter to the Editor Source Type: research