Latest / WhiteBoard Medicine - Emergency And Critical Care
#214 ECMO Explained: VA-ECMO, VV-ECMO, and When to Use Each
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is one of the most complex and powerful tools in critical care—but also one of the most misunderstood. In this episode, we break down ECMO step by step, focusing on VA-ECMO, VV-ECMO, how they work, and when to use each configuration. We start with the fundamentals of ECMO physiology and circuit components, then walk through veno-arterial (VA) ECMO for cardiac failure and veno-venous (VV) ECMO for severe respiratory failure. Along the way, we highlight key indications, hemodynamic effects, common pitfalls, and complications clinicians need to…
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