Cardiac arrest & resuscitation
The FaciLItated hospital-based Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (ECPR) via Helicopter Transport (FLIGHT-to-ECPR) study
Authors' conclusion
A HEMS-facilitated, hospital-based ECPR strategy is feasible and safely expands rural access to advanced resuscitation while preserving neurologic outcomes comparable to standard ground-transport ECPR.
Study context
- Population
- Adults (18–75 years) with refractory VF/VT out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) meeting Minnesota Mobile Resuscitation Consortium eligibility criteria, August 2021-December 202545 FLIGHT activations
- Participants
- 27 vs 27
- Exposure
- Helicopter-EMS (HEMS)-facilitated hospital-based ECPR vs standard ground-transport ECPR
- FLIGHTn = 27
- Standard ground-transport ECPRn = 27reference
- Outcome
- Survival to discharge with favorable neurologic status (CPC 1-2)
Methodological detailssingle-center, matched cohort (1:1, matched on low-flow time)
- Single-center
- Matched cohort (1:1, matched on low-flow time)
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Survival to discharge with favorable neurologic status (CPC 1-2), matched ECPR patients
Identical favorable neurologic survival in matched ECPR patients (n = 27/group)
25.9%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Favorable neurologic survival (CPC 1-2), all FLIGHT activations
- Overall
- 33.3% (15/45)
- Cannulated
- 25.9% (7/27)
- Non-cannulated, achieving ROSC or meeting termination criteria
- 44.4% (8/18)
Low-flow time, matched ECPR patients
- Similar low-flow times (mean ± SD, min)
- 85.9 ± 29.3 vs. 87.1 ± 29.2 min
- p ≥ 0.99
Cannulation performance, ECMO duration, hospital LOS
- No differences observed
Original publication
The FaciLItated hospital-based ECPR via Helicopter Transport (FLIGHT-to-ECPR) study. Resuscitation. Published 20 May 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →