Emergency preservation and resuscitation (EPR) is trialled on patients whose hearts have stopped, and have lost more than half their blood due to acute trauma such as gunshot or stab wounds
Brain activity
almost stops
1
Surgeons have minutes to operate – there is less than 5% chance the patient would normally survive.
Person rapidly cooled
10-15C by replacing their blood with ice-cold saline
Heart stops beating
2
This gives surgeons more time to repair the wounds before reviving the patient
The person is warmed
back to 37C and
their heart restarted
Emergency preservation and resuscitation (EPR) is trialled on patients whose hearts have stopped, and have lost more than half their blood due to acute trauma such as gunshot or stab wounds
Brain activity
almost stops
1
Surgeons have minutes to operate – there is less than 5% chance the patient would normally survive.
2
This gives surgeons more time to repair the wounds before reviving the patient
The person is warmed
back to 37C and
their heart restarted
Person rapidly cooled
10-15C by replacing their blood with ice-cold saline
Heart stops beating