Cannulation techniques for extracorporeal life support

Venovenous extracorporeal life support via percutaneous cannulation in 94 patients.

STUDY OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to demonstrate the safety and utility of a method of percutaneous access for cannulation of adult patients for venovenous extracorporeal life support (ECLS). DESIGN A retrospective review of a patient series. SETTING A surgical ICU at a university teaching hospital. PATIENTS The study group consisted of 94 adults > 17 years old with respirat...

Prevention and therapy of leg ischaemia in extracorporeal life support and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation with peripheral cannulation.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and extracorporeal life support (ECLS) have been around for a long time, but it is only in recent years, with the advent of acute respiratory distress syndrome consecutive to influenza A (H1N1) infection, that these life-saving technologies have seen a broader application. Although the results of ECLS and ECMO are perceived as generally encouraging, th...

Extracorporeal life support for status asthmaticus.

Status asthmaticus is a life-threatening form of reactive airway disease, refractory to initial control with ordinary medical measures, sometimes requiring mechanical ventilatory assistance. In this report, we describe a patient whose bronchospasm could not be controlled with conventional measures, with severe respiratory acidosis (PaCO2 consistently > 100 mm Hg), who was successfully supported...

Extracorporeal life support for cardiopulmonary failure.

Extracorporeal Life Support for Pediatric Heart Failure

Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) represents an essential component in the treatment of the pediatric patient with refractory heart failure. Defined as the use of an extracorporeal system to provide cardiopulmonary support, ECLS provides hemodynamic support to facilitate end-organ recovery and can be used as a salvage therapy during acute cardiorespiratory failure. Support strategies employed ...