Ground transportation of a pediatric patient on ECMO support

Abstract

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a technique for providing cardiac and/or pulmonary support. Many hospitals worldwide practice ECMO at some time, yet few centers are able to offer a portable ECMO service, with the United Kingdom being of no exception. We describe the first reported successful ground transfer of a 22-kg girl with suspected myocarditis, supported by veno-arterial ECMO between two hospitals within the United Kingdom (UK). A modified Falcon series 2 patient stretcher was used to transport the patient and house the ECMO hardware, consisting of a Levitronix Centri-Mag pump system, a Hico-variotherm 550 heater/cooler unit, and an oxygen supply. Design limitations and future technical recommendations of the portable ECMO system subsequent to clinical experience are discussed.