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Center for Acute Respiratory Failure
Contraindications to ECMO
Relative Contraindications
Relative contraindications to ECMO at the Center for Acute Respiratory Failure at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center include:
- High-pressure ventilation (plateau airway pressures over 30 cm of water) for more than 7 days
- High FIO2 requirements (over 80% for more than 7 days)
- Limited vascular access
- Inability to accept blood products
- Any condition or organ dysfunction that would limit the likelihood of overall benefit from ECMO, such as severe, irreversible brain injury or untreatable metastatic cancer
Absolute Contraindications
Absolute contraindications include:
- Contraindication to anticoagulation
- ECMO as bridge to lung transplantation if transplantation will not be considered
