The Extra-Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) machine has proven to save lives, and first responders hope it will save more in the future.
According to a July 29 KOTA report, ECMO machines are reported to "take over for the heart and lungs," which allows doctors the opportunity to use a defibrillator to jumpstart the heart or remove a blood clot.
"If we are able to apply ECMO fast and early and successfully, we will be able to save a number of lives,” Dr. Jonathan Marinaro, professor of emergency medicine and co-chief of the UNM Center for Adult Critical Care, said, according to KOTA.
Marinaro reported 85% of people who die of cardiac arrest die because their brain loses too much oxygen. According to KOTA, Marinaro said there is a 50% survival rate for those who suffer cardiac arrest but get treatment at UNM with the ECMO machine. This survival rate is expected to increase with the mobile machines.
"Regular CPR provides about one-fifth of how much your heart normally beats," Marinaro said, according to KOTA. "The ECMO provides 90-100% of that."
Marinaro urged everyone to learn CPR because, "it can save lives in conjunction with the other modalities we use," according to KOTA.
KOTA reported the machine has been utilized for decades, but New Mexico is the first state in North America to perform this method before people go to the hospital. Mobile ECMO machines were tested in 2020 when the University of New Mexico teamed up with Albuquerque Fire and Rescue. They’ll partner again January 2023 to put the ECMO machines back on the streets.
The ambulance with the machine is based at Fire Station 3 on Girard Boulevard, KOTA reported. When dispatched, it'll go to the hospital, pick up an on-call doctor and hurry to the patient.
