MSP airport deploys first mobile ECMO unit

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport has become the first airport in the United States to deploy a mobile heart-lung life support unit on its grounds, giving cardiac arrest patients access to advanced extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO, without leaving the terminal area.^[1]

Under the new system, when a 911 call for a suspected cardiac arrest comes from anywhere at MSP, airport first responders move the patient to a designated staging area where an M Health Fairview ECMO team can start heart-lung bypass on site, guided in real time by cardiologists who can consult virtually.^[1] The rollout, announced Thursday, is a partnership among the Metropolitan Airports Commission, MSP fire and police departments, the airport's contract ambulance service, and M Health Fairview/Minnesota Mobile Physicians.^[1]

MSP officials and medical partners developed the program to close the life-or-death gap that occurs when a cardiac arrest patient must be transported off airport property to reach hospital-based ECMO.^[1] By pre-planning routes to the staging area and rehearsing roles among fire, police, and ambulance crews, they aim to shave critical minutes off the time to advanced resuscitation, a key factor in survival and brain function outcomes.^[1]

Airport leaders are framing the mobile ECMO unit as part of a broader effort to turn MSP into one of the safest places in the region to experience a cardiac emergency, not just a transportation hub.^[1] The model could serve as a template for other large airports and high-traffic venues that face similar challenges with rapid access to specialized life support while dealing with sprawling layouts, security checkpoints, and crowds.^[1]

1. FOX 9