Activation of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: a therapeutic approach to be considered.

Objective: To describe the epidemiological profile of victims of cardiac arrest assisted using a nontransporting emergency medical service vehicle and to determine whether these patients met the criteria for the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Methods: This study employed a retrospective, cohort, descriptive, and exploratory design. Data were collected in January 2018 in northern Portugal by consulting the records of nontransporting emergency medical service vehicles that provided assistance between 2012 and 2016.