Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is an effective tool for managing patients with severe acute cardiogenic shock and/or respiratory failure. With emphasis on teamwork and adherence to guidelines, protocols, and objective tools to assist in patient selection, management, and weaning, outcomes have improved. Nevertheless, every aspect of supporting patients who require extracorporeal support remains a challenge - with many unanswered questions. The goal of this text, as a supplement to the previous editions on this rapidly evolving topic, is to provide the reader with a more in-depth review of some of the ongoing issues in this field. Topics ranging from administrative aspects to developing a program, nursing issues, ethical concerns, and a variety of clinical topics are discussed at length.

Advances in Extracorporeal Circulation Research and Application / 2012 Edition is a ScholarlyPaper™ that delivers timely, authoritative, and intensively focused information about Extracorporeal Circulation in a compact format. The editors have built Advances in Extracorporeal Circulation Research and Application / 2012 Edition on the vast information databases of ScholarlyNews.™ You can expect the information about Extracorporeal Circulation in this eBook to be deeper than what you can access anywhere else, as well as consistently reliable, authoritative, informed, and relevant. The content of Advances in Extracorporeal Circulation Research and Application / 2012 Edition has been produced by the world’s leading scientists, engineers, analysts, research institutions, and companies. All of the content is from peer-reviewed sources, and all of it is written, assembled, and edited by the editors at ScholarlyEditions™ and available exclusively from us. You now have a source you can cite with authority, confidence, and credibility. More information is available at http://www.ScholarlyEditions.com/.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), despite a long and troubled history, is very rapidly evolving into a therapy that can be safely and effectively applied across the world in patients experiencing acute cardiac and/or pulmonary failure. As experiences grow, there is a better understanding of nuances of the importance of teamwork, therapy guidelines and protocols, patient selection, and understanding the functional aspects of pump-circuit technology as it interfaces with human biology. The challenges in managing these very sick and complex patients cannot be understated. The goal of this text is to provide a framework for the development and successful growth of a program. Authors from Centers of Excellence Worldwide have shared their experiences in the full spectrum in dealing with this evolving field.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has evolved into an exciting and valuable tool to assist in the management of patients experiencing cardiogenic shock, severe acute respiratory failure, or often a combination of both. While outcomes remain less than ideal, they continue to improve with team experience, better patient selection, and a growing understanding of the nuances of managing patients who require mechanical circulatory support. Patients requiring ECMO are often extremely sick and have complex problems - initiating therapy before the development of end-organ damage is critical. Without doubt, teamwork, guidelines, and protocols are cornerstone concepts for clinical and program success - all topics that are emphasized in this text. The goals of this text are to further outline topics that help address some of the key challenges providers face when considering and applying extracorporeal support therapies to the evolving spectrum of acutely ill patients.

"Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation : An Interdisciplinary Problem-Based Learning Approach" provides an overview of the latest techniques, management strategies, and technology surrounding the clinical use of ECMO. ECMO is a miniaturized heart-lung-machine that can be used to support patients with either acute respiratory and/or cardiocirculatory failure in numerous scenarios and can be a bridge to either heart or lung transplantation. This book focuseson educating clinicians about this complex but life-saving technology.

Summarizes many of the advances made in this area and reviews in depth the topics and treatment techniques not widely used in daily practice. New chapters to this second edition include: New Techniques to Manage Pain; Advances in Diagnostic Imaging; Management of Germ Cell Tumors of the Mediastinum, Updates on Diaphragmatic Pacing; and Preoperative Evaluation of Neuro-Motor Diseases of the Esophagus.

The aim of this book is to identify and shed new light on the main surgical practices involved in acute care and trauma surgery. Adopting an evidence-based approach, a multidisciplinary team of surgeons and intensivists illustrate basic and advanced operative techniques, accompanied by a comprehensive and updated reference collection. Emerging surgical procedures in Acute Care Surgery are also explored step by step with the help of ample illustrations. Further, the book offers an overview of treatment options for acute organ failure, with a focus on peculiar clinical situations that call for special treatment, including: extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), circulatory support and urgent liver transplantation. In order to identify the key determinants in decision-making and therapeutic support that can help avoid critical errors, authors not only define and discuss specific surgical techniques, but also present major issues and controversies related to it. In essence, the book can be considered a “What to do guide” that offers easy access to both basic and advanced lifesaving surgical procedures, due in part to text boxes highlighting “Tips, Tricks and Pitfalls” as well as advice on “Complications Management”. Many chapters are enriched by providing clinical case scenarios, an important educational resource including self–assessment questionnaires.