Patients across Sydney are set to benefit from a clinical trial that will mobilise potentially life-saving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment for those in cardiac arrest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation \u2013 or ECMO \u2013 is a form of heart and lung bypass which provides blood flow and oxygen to the brain, heart and other vital organs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This allows time to identify and treat the cause of the cardiac arrest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Until now however, the treatment has only been available within the hospital setting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, the NSW Government is announcing a new innovative clinical trial which will go a step further, making a cardiac bypass machine mobile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The staffing model of this trial is a world-first, with critical care paramedics working alongside specialist pre-hospital critical care doctors in a dedicated vehicle to treat cardiac arrest patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taking ECMO to the patient can increase their rate of survival and a good neurological outcome by getting them onto the treatment earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For ECMO to be effective, patients must be placed onto the machine within an hour of their cardiac arrest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mobilising ECMO has the potential to increase the survival rate of some patients in cardiac arrest from less than 5% to around 30%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NSW Ambulance has a dedicated clinician working within the control centre who identifies cardiac arrest patients who are suitable for ECMO and notifies the team immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To be placed on ECMO, a patient must be eligible according to specific criteria set up as part of this trial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trial is now underway, with 1 vehicle currently operating 2 days per week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Westmead Hospital, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and St Vincent\u2019s Hospital in Sydney are participating in the trial by receiving patients that have been put on ECMO by NSW Ambulance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Minister for Health Ryan Park said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe are embracing innovative, new and effective methods to improve health outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhere possible, we want to be able to provide care where and when a patient needs it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn instances of cardiac arrest \u2013 time is particularly of the essence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis world leading initiative can save time to treatment and has the potential to save lives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Member for Parramatta Donna Davis said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m thrilled that this exciting and promising trial is being launched in our community, and that Westmead will be a participating hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n NSW Ambulance Chief Executive Dr Dominic Morgan said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n “Our doctors and paramedics are well-equipped to respond to cardiac arrests within the community, with all of our ambulances fitted out with vital equipment including mechanical chest compression devices and medications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis trial will go a step further, taking a cardiac bypass machine out on the road for the first time in NSW.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Patients across Sydney are set to benefit from a clinical trial that will mobilise potentially life-saving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment for those in cardiac arrest. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation \u2013 or ECMO \u2013 is a form of heart and lung bypass which provides blood flow and oxygen to the brain, heart and other vital organs. … Continue reading “World first trial of mobile cardiac treatment could save lives”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24025","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nswnews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24025","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24025"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24025\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24026,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24025\/revisions\/24026"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24025"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24025"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24025"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}