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Background: The use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in refractory cardiac arrest (ECPR) has increased exponentially. ECPR is a resource intensive service and its cost effectiveness has yet to be demonstrated. We sought to complete a cost analysis with modelling of cost effectiveness and quality of life outcomes. We sought to complete a cost analysis with modelling of cost effectiveness and quality of life outcomes of patients who have undergone ECPR.Methods: Using data on all extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) patients at two ECMO centres in Sydney, Australia; we completed a costing analysis of ECPR patients. A Markov model of cost, quality of life and survival outcomes was developed to examine cost per QALY estimates and incremental cost effectiveness ratios (ICERs). Probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA) was completed to assess the probability of cost effectiveness for base case and variations.Results: Sixty-two consecutive ECPR patients were analysed; mean age of 51.9 ± 13.6 years, 38 (61%) were in hospital cardiac arrests (IHCA). Twenty-five patients (40%) survived to hospital discharge; all with a cerebral performance category (CPC) of 1 or 2. The mean cost per ECPR patient was AUD 75,165 (€50,535; ±AUD 75,737). Over 10 years ECPR was estimated to add a mean gain of 3.0 Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) per patient with an incremental cost effectiveness ratio (ICER) of AUD 25,212 (€16,890) per QALY, increasing to 4.0 QALYs and an ICER of AUD 18,829 (€12,614) over a 15-year survival scenario. Mean cost per QALY did not differ significantly by OHCA or IHCA.Conclusions: ECMO support for refractory cardiac arrests is cost effective and compares favourably to accepted cost effectiveness thresholds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In New South Wales, a coordinated extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) retrieval program has been in operation since 2007. This study describes the characteristics and outcomes of patients transported by this service. We performed a retrospective observational study and included patients who were transported on ECMO to either of two adult tertiary referral hospitals in Sydney, New South Wales, between February 28, 2007 and February 29, 2016. One hundred and sixty-four ECMO-facilitated transports occurred, involving 160 patients. Of these, 118 patients (74%) were treated with veno-venous (VV) ECMO and 42 patients (26%) were treated with veno-arterial ECMO. The mean (standard deviation, SD) age was 40.4 (15.0) years. Seventy-seven transports (47%) occurred within metropolitan Sydney, 52 (32%) were from rural or regional areas within NSW, 17 (10%) were interstate transfers and 18 (11%) were international transfers. Transfers were by road (58%), fixed wing aircraft (27%) or helicopter (15%). No deaths occurred during transport. The median (interquartile range) duration of ECMO treatment was 8.9 (5.2-15.3) days. One hundred and nineteen patients (74%) were successfully weaned from ECMO and 109 (68%) survived to hospital discharge or transfer. In patients treated with VV ECMO, age, sequential organ failure assessment score, pre-existing immunosuppressive disease, pre-existing diabetes, renal failure requiring dialysis and failed prone positioning prior to ECMO were independently associated with increased mortality. ECMO-facilitated patient transport is feasible, safe, and results in acceptable short-term outcomes. The NSW ECMO Retrieval Service provides specialised support to patients with severe respiratory and cardiovascular illness, who may otherwise be too unstable to undergo inter-hospital transfer to access advanced cardiovascular and critical care services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]