Skip to main content
  • Request An Appointment
  • MyChart
  • Pay a Bill or Get an Estimate
  • For Referring Providers
  • Explore UI Health Care
    • Adult Care
    • Pediatric Care
    • Cancer Center
    • Carver College of Medicine

Main Menu

  • Find a Provider
  • Services
  • Locations
  • Your Visit

More Menu

  • About Us
  • Jobs
  • Contact Us
  • News and Stories
    • Share Your Story
  • Health Topics
  • Educational Resources & Support Groups
  • COVID-19
  • Clinical Trials
  • Medical Records
  • Volunteer
  • Donate
  • Info For... Directory
  • Find a Provider
  • Services
  • Locations
  • Your Visit
  • Request An Appointment
  • MyChart
  • Pay a Bill or Get an Estimate
  • For Referring Providers
  • Explore UI Health Care
    • Adult Care
    • Pediatric Care
    • Cancer Center
    • Carver College of Medicine
  • About Us
  • Jobs
  • Contact Us
  • News and Stories
    • Share Your Story
  • Health Topics
  • Educational Resources & Support Groups
  • COVID-19
  • Clinical Trials
  • Medical Records
  • Volunteer
  • Donate
  • Info For... Directory
  • Heart and Vascular Services
    • Cardiac Imaging
      • Coronary Calcium Scan (Calcium Score test)
    • Cardiac Rehabilitation
    • Cardiology
      • Angina
      • Aortic Aneurysm
      • Atherosclerosis
      • Coronary artery disease
      • Echocardiogram
      • Heart Failure
      • Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)
      • Pulmonary Hypertension
    • Cardio-Oncology
    • Cardiovascular Genetics
    • Electrophysiology (Arrhythmia Care)
      • Atrial Fibrillation
      • Cardiac Ablation
      • Pacemaker and ICD Devices
    • Heart Surgery
      • Heart Transplant
      • ECMO: Heart and Lung Life Support
        • A Family Guide to ECMO
        • Criteria for ECMO
        • ECMO Training Course
        • Immediately Contact the ECMO Team
        • The Iowa Difference for ECLS Care
        • Welcome from the ECMO Director
      • Left ventricular assist device (LVAD)
    • Interventional Cardiology
      • Atherectomy
      • Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (Angioplasty)
      • Percutaneous Ventricular Assist Device (Impella)
    • Structural heart and heart valve disease
      • Atrial Septal Defect (ASD)
      • Left Atrial Appendage Closure (Watchman Device)
      • Paravalvular Leak (PVL) Closure
      • Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO)
      • Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)
      • Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair (MitraClip)
      • Tricuspid Valve Repair and Replacement
    • Vascular Surgery
      • Deep vein thrombosis
      • Peripheral Artery Disease
      • Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS)
      • Varicose Veins and Spider Veins

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Heart and Vascular Services
  3. Heart Surgery
  4. ECMO: Heart and Lung Life Support
  5. Criteria for ECMO
Email Criteria for ECMO
Share Criteria for ECMO on Facebook
Share Criteria for ECMO on Twitter
Share Criteria for ECMO on LinkedIn
Print Criteria for ECMO

Criteria for ECMO

Adult Patient Criteria

Common Adult Diagnoses/Indications

  • Influenza
  • Viral/Bacterial Pneumonia
  • Burn and Inhalation Injury
  • Traumatic Lung Injury
  • Pulmonary Contusion
  • Pulmonary Embolism
  • Post-Shock or Sepsis associated with ARDS, or other forms of reversible acute lung injury or illness
  • Acute Respiratory Distress (ARDS)

Contraindications

  • Mechanical ventilation at high settings (FIO2 > 0.9, P-plat > 30) for > 7 days.
  • Unwitnessed arrest
  • Total arrest time >60 min
  • Chest compressions not initiated within 10 minutes of arrest
  • Pre-existing sever neurological disease or injury prior to arrest
  • Age: no specific age contraindication but consider increasing risk with increasing age

Call Early If

  • Considering proning
  • Adding paralytic agent
  • Increasing mechanical ventilation
  • Patient still has single organ failure

Pediatric Patient Criteria

Common Pediatric Diagnoses/Indications

  • Best within first 7 days of mechanical ventilation at high settings
  • Influenza
  • ARDS
  • PE
  • Status Asthmaticus
  • Cardiac Failure
  • Myocarditis
  • Cardiomyopathy
  • Drug overdose
  • Refractory Pulmonary Hypertension
  • Malignant arrhythmias
  • Witnessed arrest
  • Sepsis

Relative Contraindications

  • Any infant considered old and large enough to undergo a cardiac operation is an appropriate candidate for ECLS.
  • Futility
  • CPR > 5 min without evidence of being effective

Neonate Patient Criteria

Common Neonatal Diagnoses/Indications

  • Oxygenation Index > 40 for >4 hours

Relative Contraindications

  • Oxygenation Index: Mean airway P x FiO2 x 100 Ă· Post ductal PaO2
    • Oxygenation Index >20 with lack of improvement despite prolonged (>24h) maximal medical therapy or persistent episodes of decompensation
    • Severe hypoxic respiratory failure with acute decompensation (PaO2 <40) unresponsive to intervention.
    • Progressive respiratory failure and/or pulmonary hypertension with evidence of right ventricular dysfunction or continued high inotropic requirement
    • Lethal chromosomal disorder (Trisomy 13 and 18)
    • Irreversible brain damage
    • Grade III or greater ICH
    • Irreversible organ damage (unless considered for organ transplant),
    •  <1.6 Kg birth weight
    • <34 weeks post-menstrual age because of the increased incidence of increased intracranial hemorrhage.
    • Disease states with a high probability of a poor prognosis
    • Ventilation with 100% oxygen for >/= 14 days
    • Lower grade ICH

Sidebar content

  • Heart and Vascular Services
    • Cardiac Imaging
      • Coronary Calcium Scan (Calcium Score test)
    • Cardiac Rehabilitation
    • Cardiology
      • Angina
      • Aortic Aneurysm
      • Atherosclerosis
      • Coronary artery disease
      • Echocardiogram
      • Heart Failure
      • Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)
      • Pulmonary Hypertension
    • Cardio-Oncology
    • Cardiovascular Genetics
    • Electrophysiology (Arrhythmia Care)
      • Atrial Fibrillation
      • Cardiac Ablation
      • Pacemaker and ICD Devices
    • Heart Surgery
      • Heart Transplant
      • ECMO: Heart and Lung Life Support
        • A Family Guide to ECMO
        • Criteria for ECMO
        • ECMO Training Course
        • Immediately Contact the ECMO Team
        • The Iowa Difference for ECLS Care
        • Welcome from the ECMO Director
      • Left ventricular assist device (LVAD)
    • Interventional Cardiology
      • Atherectomy
      • Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (Angioplasty)
      • Percutaneous Ventricular Assist Device (Impella)
    • Structural heart and heart valve disease
      • Atrial Septal Defect (ASD)
      • Left Atrial Appendage Closure (Watchman Device)
      • Paravalvular Leak (PVL) Closure
      • Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO)
      • Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)
      • Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair (MitraClip)
      • Tricuspid Valve Repair and Replacement
    • Vascular Surgery
      • Deep vein thrombosis
      • Peripheral Artery Disease
      • Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS)
      • Varicose Veins and Spider Veins

Locations and Offices

Medical Intensive Care Unit

Roy J. Carver Pavillion (RCP)
Level 5, Elevator E
1-319-356-2456
Clinic
In University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics
200 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City, IA 52242

Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU)

John W. Colloton Pavilion (JCP)
Level 4, Elevator H
1-319-356-2456
Clinic
In University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics
200 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City, IA 52242

200 Hawkins Drive
Iowa City, IA 52242
United States

1-800-777-8442
  • Request an appointment
  • Directions and parking
  • See all locations
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram

Patient and Visitors

  • Your visit
  • MyChart
  • Contact us
  • Find a provider
  • Browse medical services
  • Share your story

Medical Professionals

  • Resources for referring providers
  • Refer a patient online
  • Request a consult
  • Clinical trials
  • Educational resources

Employees & Community

  • About us
  • Resources and support groups
  • News and patient stories
  • Health topics
  • Join our team
  • Employee updates
  • Nondiscrimination Notice
  • HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practice
  • Web Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility
  • University of Iowa Indigenous Land Acknowledgement
  • Translation services
  • Financial services
  • Patient Experience Office
  • Guest and Concierge Services
  • Spiritual services
  • Volunteer Services
  • Sitemap
  • cancer.uiowa.edu
  • uihealthcare.org
  • medicine.uiowa.edu
  • Medicine Iowa Magazine
Copyright © 2023

The University of Iowa. All Rights Reserved.

University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital is part of University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics.