Maintenance at ECMO
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation represents a very high burden and a great effort for the nursing staff even in intensive care situations. On the one hand, the device must be checked very regularly and thoroughly. The connection to the patient via hoses and the puncture site must also be checked in order to detect or prevent infections at an early stage.
The greatest challenge is the positioning and mobilization of the patient. Movements are avoided where possible to prevent the needles from slipping out. However, a certain amount of positioning is still necessary to freshen up the bed and prevent pressure points on the skin as part of decubitus prophylaxis.
A great deal of nursing staff is required for such storage in order not to endanger the tube system. Another aspect is that a patient connected to ECMO must have very regular blood checks (blood gas analyses) to test the oxygen content and other parameters. All in all, ECMO requires a large number of trained nursing staff to ensure optimal application and therefore also makes financial demands.
How long does one make an ECMO?
The duration of treatment with an ECMO varies and depends mainly on the patient’s state of health. It ranges from several days to a few weeks. The maximum treatment duration of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is prescribed by the device and is therefore limited.
ECMO is often used to bridge critical health conditions and is removed as soon as possible. As a rule, this involves switching to classical intensive care ventilation via a ventilator and tube (breathing tube). Unfortunately, complications occur time and again, which require premature discontinuation of therapy and complicate and prolong the hospital stay.
Frequently occurring problems are mainly coagulation disorders in the form of bleeding, which are caused by the simultaneous administration of the blood thinner heparin. On the other hand, too little heparin can cause a blood clot to form inside the device, which is carried into the human circulation and can lead to an embolism. Infections, for example at the injection site, are also a frequent complication and can lead to blood poisoning without being detected.
