How ECMO Works
ECMO substitutes for the function of the lungs and heart by pumping blood out of the body; oxygen is added to the blood and carbon dioxide is removed before it is returned to the patient. This process allows the heart and lungs time to rest and recover.A large catheter drains blood out to a pump. This blood is dark because it contains very little oxygen. We pump a steady amount of blood through the ECMO machine each minute.
We call this the ECMO flow rate. As the patient improves, we may decrease the flow rate and let their heart and lungs do more of the work. The pump pushes blood through an artificial lung where we add oxygen and remove carbon dioxide. We select the size of the lung based on the size of the patient. Sometimes we use two lungs for adults. We warm the blood before returning it to the body. This blood is bright red because it contains oxygen.
You will also see other tubing and ports for blood withdrawal and drug administration, as well as safety features, such as a pump regulator, blood gas monitor, and other devices. As you can see, there are a lot of devices and monitors. Our nurses and ECMO Specialists are trained to watch the system, and the patient, carefully.