Overview of Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (VA-ECMO) Support for the Management of Cardiac Arrest and Cardiogenic Shock

In the United States, ~100,000 patients are hospitalized annually for cardiogenic shock with 27–51% mortality. Similarly, ~356,000 patients develop out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) annually with 90% mortality. In the last few decades, several acute mechanical circulatory support (AMCS) devices have been developed to provide hemodynamic support and to improve outcomes in patients with cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrest. Among all the devices, venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) is the only AMCS device that provides immediate and complete cardiopulmonary support. With an increase in clinical experience with VA-ECMO, use of VA-ECMO has expanded beyond post-cardiotomy cardiogenic shock. In the last two decades, there has also been a rapid growth in the observational and randomized data describing the clinical and logistical considerations with successful clinical outcomes in patients with cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrest. In this review, we discuss the fundamental concepts and hemodynamic aspects of VA-ECMO, its indications, contraindications, and the complications that are encountered in the setting of VA-ECMO in patients with cardiac arrest and cardiogenic shock of various etiologies.