Unconventional Cannulation Strategy in Peripheral Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation to Achieve Central Perfusion and Prevent Differential Hypoxia

VENOARTERIAL EXTRACORPOREAL membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) is a therapeutic option increasingly used in the management of patients with cardiac and respiratory failure refractory to maximal conventional treatment.1 However, when the heart recovers and lung function remains poor, patients with peripheral ECMO, especially in the case of femoral VA-ECMO, frequently display a lower partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) in the upper body than in the lower body, a phenomenon that has been termed differential hypoxia, Harlequin syndrome, or North-South syndrome.

Source: Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia - August 16, 2018 Category: Anesthesiology Authors: Maria E. Antoniucci, Stefano De Paulis, Francesca Bevilacqua, Maria Calabrese, Gabriella Arlotta, Andrea Scapigliati, Michele Corrado, Sergio Guarneri, Lorenzo Martinelli, Roberto Zamparelli, Franco Cavaliere Tags: Case Report Source Type: research