Hydrogen's Feasibility and Safety as a Therapy in Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
The purpose of this project is to test the feasibility and safety of inhaled hydrogen gas (H2) administration as a rescue therapy during cardiac arrest requiring extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR, i.e. mechanical circulatory support). Under exemption from informed consent, patients undergoing refractory cardiac arrest in the cardiac ICU at a participating center will be randomized to standard therapy with or without the administration of 2% hydrogen in gases administered via the ventilator and ECMO membrane for 72 hours.
⁃ In order to be eligible to participate in this study, an individual must meet all of the following criteria:
• Patients admitted to a cardiac intensive care unit at a participating site with cardiac comorbidity, including congenital heart disease, myocarditis, cardiac arrhythmia, or rejection of a transplanted heart.
• Patients are anticipated to be between birth to 18 years of age, although occasionally a patient over the age of 18 may be enrolled.
• Patient experiencing a refractory cardiac arrest \>5 minutes and receiving ongoing CPR in the ICU, cardiac catheterization lab, or cardiac operating room.
• The decision made by the clinical team to resuscitate from ongoing, refractory cardiac arrest using ECPR due to a lack of other available options.