AUTHOR=Kalbhenn Johannes , Zieger Barbara TITLE=Bleeding During Veno-Venous ECMO: Prevention and Treatment JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine VOLUME=9 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2022.879579 DOI=10.3389/fmed.2022.879579 ISSN=2296-858X ABSTRACT=

Veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (vvECMO) has become a routine treatment for severe lung failure in specialized centers. Spontaneous bleeding complications, however, are observed in 30–60% of patients during vvECMO treatment. Bleeding increases mortality by factors 2–3. Anticoagulation in combination with several acquired bleeding disorders caused by the mechanical pump and the foreign layer of the extracorporeal system contribute to the risk of bleeding. In this review, the mechanisms of the underlying pathologies and the route from diagnosis to treatment are described.