Management of Circuit Air in Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: A Single Center Experience (Chan KM, Wan WTP, Ling L, So JMC, Wong CHL, Tam SBS)

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Circuit air source is usually findable and usually venous; an airlock can be recovered by de-airing or circuit change.

None

DOI 10.1097/MAT.0000000000001494; PMID 34081051

Circuit change or de-airing with backflush technique

Four patients, one centre, one console; abstract only read; backflush technique not described in abstract.

Source located in all 4; venous side in 3; centrifugal pump airlock with flow cessation in 2. All 4 weaned from ECMO; 3 discharged alive. Authors: systemic gas embolism avoidable with effective management; backflush safe and effective for airlock in Cardiohelp.

116 ECMO patients on Cardiohelp HLS, single centre, October 2009 to July 2020; 4 with circuit gas bubbles or systemic gas embolism.