Richa Asija, Justin A Fried, Eric C Siddall, Dana A Mullin, Cara L Agerstrand, Daniel Brodie, Joshua R Sonett, Philippe H Lemaitre, Darryl Abrams
Dual circulation is a common but underrecognized physiological occurrence associated with peripheral venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Competitive flow will develop between blood ejected from the heart and blood travelling retrograde within the aorta from the ECMO reinfusion cannula. The intersection of these two competitive flows is referred to as the "mixing point". The location of this mixing point, which depends upon the relative strengths of the native and extracorporeal pumps, will determine which regions of the body are perfused with blood ejected from the left ventricle and which regions are perfused by reinfused blood from the ECMO circuit, effectively establishing dual circulations...
October 27, 2023: Critical Care: the Official Journal of the Critical Care Forum