Nursing care of patients with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for postoperative support in heart transplantation / 中华护理杂志

ABSTRACT

This paper summarizes the nursing care of patients with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for postoperative support in heart transplantation. Ten patients suffered from acute graft failure after heart transplantation and applied the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for postoperative support. All the patients were monitored on electrocardiogram, hemodynamics, body temperature, urine volume, drainage volume, activated coagulation time, liver and renal function, free hemoglobin and colloid osmotic pressure. Nine survivals were discharged with recovery and one patient died. The duration of ECMO support ranged from 40 to 824 hours. When the heart function showed recovered based on bedside UCG. the ECMO could be weaned off uneventfully after 100 hours and the long-term clinical outcomes were good. It is suggested that close monitoring of heart & lung function during ECMO support, proper adjustment of ventilator index, intensive lung & respiratory tract care, prevention of arrhythmia, bleeding, embolism, infections, bedsores and other complications may decrease the mortality of severe patients with heart transplantation.