Pulmonary Physiologic Assessment of Patients on Veno-arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (VA ECMO)

Plain-language summary

There is limited data on the respiratory system mechanics and ideal mode of ventilation for patients on veno-arterial extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO) post cardiac arrest. In this observational study, the investigators will review and/or obtain laboratory, hemodynamic, respiratory system mechanical, and clinical data from patients on VA ECMO. The specific aims of this study are as follows: Aim 1: To characterize the lung ventilation strategy employed in patients on VA ECMO and its success. Aim 2: To characterize respiratory system mechanics while on ECMO using esophageal manometry and Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT). Aim 3: To characterize right heart function and pulmonary vascular hemodynamics on the employed ventilation strategy. The overarching hypothesis is that fine-tuned individualized ventilation might be superior to an algorithm that does not account for cardiac and pulmonary functions. Therefore, the aims of this study are to identify areas in which the ventilation strategy may theoretically be suboptimal, which will guide future interventional studies investigating alternatives methods of ventilation which may reduce time on the ventilator after cardiac arrest, time in the intensive care unit, and need for veno-venous ECMO.

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