Anticoagulation during ECMO in neonatal and paediatric patients.
Review published in Thrombosis research (2018)
Abstract
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) is a form of Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS) which is used frequently in the paediatric and neonatal setting to support either the pulmonary, or both the pulmonary and cardiac systems. Management of ECMO requires the use of systemic anticoagulation to prevent patient and circuit based thrombosis, which in turn increases the risk of haemorrhage. A number of coagulation tests, laboratory and point of care based, are used to monitor anticoagulation, however the evidence for correlation of the test results with level of anticoagulant and clinical outcomes in children remains poor.
Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.
Summary
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) is a form of Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS) which is used frequently in the paediatric and neonatal setting to support either the pulmonary, or both the pulmonary and cardiac systems. Management of ECMO requires the use of systemic anticoagulation to...
Why This Matters for Hirudotherapy
This review discussed the use of systemic anticoagulation and the challenges of monitoring its therapeutic effects during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in pediatric and neonatal patients, noting that evidence for correlation between coagulation test results and clinical outcomes in children remains poor. The abstract addresses the clinical tension between preventing thrombosis and increasing hemorrhage risk in this critical care setting. It does not mention leeches, hirudotherapy, hirudin, or any leech-derived substances. Based solely on this abstract, there is no defensible connection to ASH's domain.
Citation
Anticoagulation during ECMO in neonatal and paediatric patients.
Barton et al. · Thrombosis research, 2018
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