Network Member Brian Grunau Leads ECPR Team Reviving Patient Clinically Dead for 52 Mins

A 55-year-old Vancouver man who suffered a cardiac arrest was revived after being pronounced clinically dead for 52 minutes with the help of the ECPR team at St. Paul’s Hospital, led by Network member Brian Grunau.

ECPR (Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) is the use of an external machine to oxygenate a patient’s blood supply. ECPR is used for patients who are unable to be revived with standard resuscitation.

“This positive outcome is the result of the collaborative effort involving BCEHS and many departments in St. Paul’s Hospital, especially the cardiac surgery intensive-care unit and the emergency department,” says Dr. Brian Grunau, ECPR Protocol Director. “Every second counts, so we have planned every detail to maximize speed and efficiency.”

Read the full article in the Providence Health Care Daily Scan.

Find out more about the EM Network Reversing Sudden Unexpected Death research program, led by Brian Grunau and Jim Christenson.