Infection protection and management during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a life support technique used in patients with cardiac and/or respiratory failure. The ECMO circuit consists of vascular cannulas, a propelling pump, and a membrane oxygenator (MO). Besides common infection risk factors of all critically ill patients recovered in ICU, ECMO patients have adjunctive risk factors such as microbial colonization of ECMO cannula and MO and ECMO-related impairment of the immune system. Proper management of ECMO circuit is essential to prevent ECMO-related infections. Moreover, diagnosis of infection during EMCO may be challenge. This chapter presents a review regarding epidemiology, risk factors, prevention and treatment of infectious complications during ECMO support.