This video covers the nuts and bolts related to the daily monitoring of the V-V ECMO circuit. First, we cover the mountain of data that comes from patient and circuit each day and define the important values that are uniquely found in this patient population. In particular, we cover how vital signs are interpreted differently while on the ECMO circuit, what sort of ventilators settings/outcomes are important for these patients, and how to make sense of the volumes of laboratory data collected each day, with a special focus on ABGs. We then turn our attention to the machine itself and the many important indicator values that are collected on a minute to minute basis.
Finally, after that foundation is set, we go back and review what data you should be pulling for every patient on your morning pre-rounds, and how to rapidly decide if the circuit is functioning well or not, and how you might titrate the circuit if the patient is not doing well. This is a long complex video about a hard topic, please let me know if parts are unclear.
This video is for educational purposes only, do not use to diagnose or treat any diseases. This is not clinical advice.