The best anticoagulation strategy during Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) is
unknown. Actual recommendations suggest to use unfractionated heparin infusion and monitor
the effect with either activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (aPTT) or Activated Clotting
Time (ACT). Since hemorrhage is still the major adverse effect of ECMO with impact on
mortality and morbidity, the investigators raised a question whether an alternative
monitoring technique namely Thromboelastography (TEG) could allow a more accurate management
of anticoagulation in this setting. To test this hypothesis the investigators designed a
pilot study to test safety and feasibility of an anticoagulation monitoring algorithm based
on TEG versus aPTT.
Phase:
Phase 1
Details
Lead Sponsor:
Policlinico Hospital
Collaborator:
The Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and Advanced Specialized Therapies