ECMO physiology

ECMO or no ECMO: Do no harm.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been used in the management of neonates with life-threatening cardiorespiratory diseases since 19821. Several studies have demonstrated that ECMO promotes normal survival in neonates with respiratory failure2-4. After decades of discussion, ECMO is now well accepted as a standard of treatment for neonatal respiratory failure refractory to conventio...

What is ECMO?

www.thoracic.org C LI P A N D C O P Y The ECMO machine replaces the function of the heart and lungs. People who need support from an ECMO machine are cared for in a hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU). Typically, people are supported by an ECMO machine for only a few hours to days, but may require it for a few weeks, depending on how their condition progresses. There are many overlaps and diff...

ECMO, ARDS and AH1N1

Troubleshooting adult ECMO.

The following scenarios explore some of the common problems encountered during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in adults. In each scenario, the circuit is comprised of a centrifugal pump and a polymethylpentene oxygenator.

ECMO and the intensivist

Sir, the influenza pandemic of 2009/2010 has brought pulmonary extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMo) once again to the attention of those involved in intensive care. Specialized conferences are now common and topics such as “the best techniques for blood vessel cannulation” give the impression that ECMo is a well known and well handled technique by most clinicians. Despite the achievements...