When Hawthorn-man Hugh experienced a cardiac arrest at the gym it was a fast-acting loved one, followed by the unique skills of a rapid-response team from The Alfred and Ambulance Victoria, that saw him live another day.
The father of two is one-of-just-19 Melburnians to have received the life-saving intervention known as ECMO outside of the hospital setting – all thanks to an innovative Victorian trial.
An ECMO machine takes over from a critically ill patient’s lungs and heart when their own organs cannot function, by circulating blood through a machine outside their bodies. It's a technique commonly only offered in specialist hospitals.
Trial co-lead, and Alfred ICU specialist, Dr Sacha Richardson said his team had been using ECMO in the hospital-setting for years, but advancement meant the machines were now small enough to take to the street.
“CPR and defibrillation remain the mainstay of cardiac arrest response, but a person’s chance of survival falls to less than five per cent if you can’t restart the heart within 30 minutes,” Dr Richardson said. “We hope to change that with ECMO.”
ICU doctor, Associate Professor Aidan Burrell – who was one of the first on the scene – said it was great to see Hugh again.
“He is so motivated and doing all the right things, and it is wonderful he continues to make such a solid recovery,” Dr Burrell said.
