title: First experience with the new portable extracorporeal membrane oxygenation system Cardiohelp for severe respiratory failure in adults.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Over the last decade, technical improvements in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) equipment have reduced procedure-related complications and have made ECMO an effective option for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) if conventional therapy fails.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this report, we present our early experience with the Cardiohelp, a new portable miniaturized ECMO system, in 22 consecutive patients with ARDS. All patients were placed on venovenous ECMO. Cannulas were inserted percutaneously, employing the Seldinger technique. Data were collected prospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median patient age was 47 years (36 to 61). Fifteen patients from regional hospitals were too unstable for conventional transport and were placed on Cardiohelp at the referring hospital and then transported to our institution. The patients were transported by ambulance (n=2) or helicopter (n=13) over a distance of 50-250 km. Cardiohelp support resulted in immediate improvement of gas exchange and highly protective ventilation. The median duration of support was 13 days (8 to 19). An exchange of the device was necessary in 9 patients. Sixteen patients (72.7%) were successfully weaned from ECMO and fifteen patients (68.2%) survived. Device-related complications were not observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The compact portable ECMO device Cardiohelp is a highly effective method to secure vital gas exchange and to reduce further ventilator-induced lung injury in patients with acute respiratory failure. Crucial technical innovations and ease of device transport and implantation allow location-independent stabilization with consecutive inter-hospital transfer.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University Medical Center Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany. assadhaneya@web.de
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haneya
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Philipp
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Foltan
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Camboni
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Müeller
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bein
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lubnow
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015199:Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008904:Miniaturization; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome