Anticoagulation Monitoring During ECMO Support: Monitor or Flip a Coin?

Sasa Rajsic1, Benedikt Treml1

  • 1Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.

Clinical Cardiology
|December 18, 2024
PubMed

Should we rely on anticoagulation monitoring in ECMO patients or simply flip a coin? The increasing use of anti-factor Xa activity to monitor the effect of UFH appears appropriate, given its moderate correlation with the UFH infusion rates, and it may play a role in preventing thromboembolic events. However, to avoid bleeding complications, more sophisticated tools, and careful clinical decision-making remain essential.