Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO, is a form of extracorporeal life support, operated by a perfusionist, that provides prolonged cardiac and respiratory support to people whose heart or lungs cannot supply adequate oxygen, gas exchange or blood flow to sustain life; its underlying device, a membrane oxygenator, is also called an artificial lung, and the technology is largely derived from cardiopulmonary bypass. ECMO works by temporarily drawing blood from the body for artificial oxygenation and carbon dioxide removal, and it is generally used after cardiopulmonary bypass or in late-stage heart or lung failure; some centers now also use it in cardiac arrest to support circulation and oxygenation while the underlying cause is treated, and it was used to support patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia when ventilation alone could not sustain blood oxygen levels.
Facts
Origin YearSourced to the subject's own account Connections
Sources
1. Wikipedia
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia Foundationhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extracorporeal_membrane_oxygenation, lead sectionQuote, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extracorporeal_membrane_oxygenation, lead section
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a form of extracorporeal life support, operated by a perfusionist, providing prolonged cardiac and respiratory support to people whose heart and lungs are unable to provide an adequate amount of oxygen, gas exchange or blood supply (p
2. Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHistory section, neonatal paragraphQuote, History section, neonatal paragraph
The first use for neonates was in 1965.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is extracorporeal membrane oxygenation used for?
Prolonged heart and lung support for people whose own heart and lungs cannot supply enough oxygen or blood flow.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a form of extracorporeal life support that provides prolonged cardiac and respiratory support to people whose heart and lungs are unable to provide an adequate amount of oxygen, gas exchange or blood supply to sustain life. It works by temporarily drawing blood from the body to allow artificial oxygenation of the red blood cells and removal of carbon dioxide. Generally, it is used either post-cardiopulmonary bypass or in late-stage treatment of a person with profound heart and/or lung failure. It is also used to support patients with the acute viral pneumonia associated with COVID-19 in cases where artificial ventilation alone is not sufficient to sustain blood oxygenation levels.
What are the risks and complications of ECMO?
Neurological injury and bleeding, which occurs in 30 to 40% of patients and can be life-threatening.
A common consequence in ECMO-treated adults is neurological injury, which may include intracerebral hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage, ischemic infarctions in susceptible areas of the brain, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, unexplained coma, and brain death. Bleeding occurs in 30 to 40% of those receiving ECMO and can be life-threatening. It is due to both the necessary continuous heparin infusion and platelet dysfunction. Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia is increasingly common among people receiving ECMO. When it is suspected, the heparin infusion is usually replaced by a non-heparin anticoagulant.
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