REFRACTORY HYPOXEMIA AND VENOVENOUS ECMO

Course overview

REFRACTORY HYPOXEMIA IS A COMMON PROBLEM ENCOUNTERED IN PATIENTS ON MECHANICAL VENTILATION FOR ACUTE RESPIRATORY FAILURE. ACUTE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME (ARDS) IS THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF REFRACTORY HYPOXEMIA IN PATIENTS WITH ACUTE RESPIRATORY FAILURE. UNMANAGEABLE REFRACTORY HYPOXEMIA REMAINS THE MOST FEARED CONDITIONS ENCOUNTERED BY INTENSIVE CARE PHYSICIANS SINCE MANY OF THE STRATEGIES PROPOSED FOR TREATMENT OF THIS CONDITION CAN IMPROVE OXYGENATION WITH NO REAL MORTALITY BENEFITS. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE TREATMENT OF REFRACTORY HYPOXEMIA AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE VENOVENOUS EXTRACORPOREAL MEMBRANE OXYGENATION IN TREATING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.