title: [Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation : Principles and medical indications].
abstract: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a special form of a miniaturized heart-lung machine with the ultimate goal to stabilize critically ill patients. Dependent on the cannulation strategy ECMO can support or replace heart and/or lung function. Medical indications and contraindications have to be evaluated thoroughly before cannulation. Moreover, before ECMO initiation a solid treatment aim has to be defined: bridge to recovery, bridge to decision, bridge to transplantation, and bridge to destination (i. e. implantation of a permanent assist device). Regarding invasiveness of the system, potential life-threatening complications, requirement of standardized monitoring of the patient and the device as well as tertiary care infrastructure, ECMO should exclusively be used in highly experienced tertiary centers.
authors.affiliation: Zentrum Innere Medizin, Klinik für Nieren- und Hochdruckerkrankungen, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625, Hannover, Deutschland. david.sascha@mh-hannover.de.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: David
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Kardiologie und Angiologie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Deutschland.
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Napp
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Herz-, Thorax-, Transplantations- und Gefäßchirurgie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Deutschland.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kühn
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Pneumologie und Deutsches Zentrum für Lungenforschung (DZL), Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Deutschland.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Hoeper
mesh_terms: D016638:Critical Illness / Q000628:therapy*; D019091:Critical Pathways / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D015199:Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D018579:Patient Selection; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Complications, ECMO; Pulmonary embolism; Respiratory distress syndrome, acute; Respiratory failure; Shock, cardiogenic