Dying feet in ICU: why might extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machines cause necrotic feet?

Dying feet in ICU: why might extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machines cause necrotic feet?

Background Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is used for severe lung and/or heart failure in intensive care units (ICU). The Prince Charles Hospital (TPCH) has one of the largest ECMO units in Australia. Its use rapidly increased during the H1N1 (“swine flu”) pandemic and an increase in pedal complications resulted. The relationship between ECMO and pedal complications has been describ...

Complications during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: why collaboration is key.

Altered antibiotic pharmacokinetics during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: cause for concern?

Sir, Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a supportive therapy and definitive management often relies on adequate drug therapy aimed at reversing the underlying cause of cardiac and/or respiratory failure. Despite this, a paucity of data exists describing the impact of ECMO on pharmacokinetics (PK) and antibiotic dosing requirements. By default, clinicians prescribe standard doses to t...

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation

Cerebral perfusion temperatures during antegrade cerebral perfusion and their affect on cerebral metabolism and neurological outcomes are evaluated in this study. Young piglets were subjected to a period of hypothermic circulatory arrest at 20°C using alphastat pH management. Four study groups were then assigned to differing temperatures of selective cerebral perfusion. Lower perfusion temperat...

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a technique that involves oxygenation of blood outside the body, and provides support to selected patients with severe respiratory or cardiac failure. The two major ECMO modalities are venoarterial and venovenous. Data from several randomised trials support the use of ECMO in neonatal respiratory failure, and a recent randomised controlled trial of ...