Abstract
BACKGROUND: Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) is a potentially life-saving intervention in refractory out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). ECPR enables, in most of the treated cases, ICU admission to patients who otherwise would have died at the emergency department (ED). Still, many of them die, frequently after withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies due to irreversible critical conditions and related complications. The additional time provided by ECPR, however, might allow for the assessment of organ donor suitability. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of ECPR on the number of potential organ donors after refractory OHCA. METHODS: We performed a post-hoc analysis of the multicenter INCEPTION trial, which randomized 134 OHCA patients between conventional CPR (CCPR) and ECPR. Detailed patient reports were presented to transplant physicians to determine the acceptability of the liver and kidneys for organ donation. In addition to the intention to treat analysis, we performed an "as-treated" analysis, limited to patients arriving without return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) at the ED. RESULTS: Out of 70 patients randomized to ECPR and 64 to CCPR, potential organ donors were identified in 14 (20%) and 4 (6%) patients, respectively (χ(2) test, p = 0.038). In the as-treated analysis, 15 out of 55 (27%) treated with ECPR were potential donors, compared to 0 out of 59 treated with CCPR (p < 0.001). This included five (9%) potential kidney donors and 15 (27%) potential liver donors. CONCLUSION: Although ECPR is currently used with life-saving intentions, it may simultaneously increase the number of potential organ donors following cardiac arrest in selected patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03101787.