What Is ECMO ?
ECMO (Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation) is a complete heart and lung support. A process of blood removal from the large vessels of the body and pumping it back into the body. In the process, the blood is typically oxygenated in an oxygenator. ECMO is initiated when the ventilators are unable to provide oxygen to the tissues and the heart is unable to circulate the blood.
How does ECMO work?
When heart or the lung fails, initially the oxygen is provided by ventilator. However, this has limitations. After a certain point the ventilator cannot provide further assistance and the rest of organs start failing. At this point,ECMO works as a complete heart & lung support.
How long does ECMO Last?
Generally, ECMO support in Cardiac (heart) conditions is off within three to five days. However, patients with certain conditions such as severe pneumonias or pulmonary hypertension can be on this support for weeks. There is no defined stop time; it is determined by either recovery or failure to see any improvement over a period of time.
Who performs ECMO?
Highly trained Team of Critical Care Consultants, Qualified Nurses & Technicians work together as a team to give ECMO support.
When should ECMO referral be initiated?
The answer is simple, think of it “early” when the Fi02 requirement is getting high and mechanical ventilation is becoming difficult. Start thinking about it when there is single organ damage and the Fi02 is above 60% and the saturation is below 95%.
Respiratory
Cardiac
Survival advantage
Recent studies have shown a significant survival advantage when patients are referred to an ECMO center at an early stage. There has been a survival benefit up to 60 percent.