Podcast 126 - ECMO Physiology
The concept of taking blood out of the body, oxygenating it, removing the CO2, and then putting back in, fascinates me. A few years ago I admittedly knew very little about extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and its indications. I remember going to a class on ECMO at Life Link III and having questions like: \xa0 Are we actually pumping blood backward through the body? \xa0 What happens to the blood in the heart when using ECMO in cardiac arrest (ECPR)? \xa0 What kind of vent settings should I use? \xa0 I am by no means an expert on ECMO, in fact, I have only been on a handful of ECMO transports, but the concept fascinates me and I thought a blog breaking down a few concepts of ECMO physiology would be beneficial.