New Research Advances the Future of Mobile ECMO & Prehospital Cardiac Arrest Care
UTH-EM Expands Mobile ECMO Research with Two New Publications
From advancing ethical frameworks to documenting groundbreaking field implementation, The Department of Emergency Medicine continues to push the boundaries of prehospital resuscitation through two newly published peer-reviewed articles on extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR).
Authored by several members of the department’s Mobile ECMO team, the publications explore both the ethical foundations and real-world operational challenges of delivering advanced ECMO support to patients experiencing out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Together, they reflect the department’s commitment to translating research into meaningful advances in patient care.
Ethics in Prehospital Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (external link)
Published in Resuscitation Plus, UTH-EM’s Richard Witkov, MDand Dorian Alexander, MD examine the complex ethical considerations surrounding the growing use of prehospital ECPR.
As more EMS systems explore bringing ECMO directly to patients in the field, the authors discuss key topics including patient selection, informed consent, equitable access to care, resource allocation, and the importance of balancing innovation with patient-centered decision-making.
The publication offers an important ethical framework for healthcare systems seeking to responsibly implement prehospital ECPR programs.
Published in the ASAIO Journal, this collaborative publication documents the first residential on-scene ECPR performed in North America, demonstrating the feasibility of initiating ECMO within a patient’s home under challenging prehospital conditions.
Authors:
- Kha Dinh, MD, FCCP, E-AEC
- Richard Witkov, MD
- Jennifer Liu, MD
- Kevin Schulz, MD, FAEMS, FACEP
- Biswasjit Kar, MD
- Bentley Bobrow, MD, FACEP
- Lisa Janowiak, BS CCP, LP (Perfusionist)
The case report details the successful deployment of a mobile ECMO team that initiated ECMO support despite limited space, ongoing CPR, and other environmental challenges.
Beyond the clinical achievement, the publication highlights the operational planning, multidisciplinary coordination, and adaptability required to successfully deliver advanced resuscitative care outside of the hospital.
As mobile ECMO programs continue to evolve, publications like these help guide the future of prehospital critical care while reinforcing our program’s role as a leader in innovation, research, and advanced cardiac arrest management.