NSE-values following ECMO supported resuscitation – a prognostic factor for outcome?

Objective: ECMO support is a rescue therapy option in critically ill patients. Since fast available and appropriate for both respiratory and circulatory failure, it is frequently applied in resuscitation scenarios. Neurological injury is a complication common in ECMO patients limiting outcome after ECMO therapy. Therefore, neurological prognosis, particularly after resuscitation, is crucial for patients undergoing an elaborate therapeutic strategy including extracorporeal support. In this study the institutional ECMO database was used to correlate NSE serum levels with outcome of patients supported with VA ECMO after resuscitation.