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PedsCrit

VA ECMO with Dr. Priya Bhaskar

Oct 23, 2023
Dr. Priya Bhaskar, an associate professor of pediatrics and attending in the cardiac ICU at UT Southwestern, discusses VA ECMO in pediatrics. Topics include indications for VA ECMO, cannulation strategies, hemodynamic complications, weaning strategies, and the advantages of ventricular assist devices over ECMO.
43:36

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • A clamping trial is conducted to determine readiness for decannulation from VA ECMO, assessing patient's tolerance of lower flows and recovery of organ function.
  • Transitioning to a ventricular assist device (VAD) is considered if a patient does not show cardiac recovery but has adequate lung and other organ function, offering advantages like stroke risk elimination and improved patient mobilization.

Deep dives

Clamping trial to assess patient readiness for decannulation

To determine if a patient is ready to be decannulated from VA ECMO, a clamping trial is conducted. The flows are methodically lowered to subphysiologic levels, around 30 cc per kilo. Clamps are placed on both the cannulas, and the patient is closely monitored for about an hour. During this time, the patient's clinical status, blood gases, and other laboratory data are assessed. The clamps are periodically removed to flush the circuit and evaluate the patient's response. The decision for decannulation is based on a combination of factors, including their tolerance of the trial and recovery of organ function.

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