Pumpless extracorporeal lung assist using an arterio-venous shunt. Applications and limitations
Liebold, A.; Philipp, A.; Kaiser, M.; Merk, J.; Schmid, F.X.; Birnbaum, D.E.
Minerva Anestesiologica 68(5): 387-391
2002
ISSN/ISBN: 0375-9393 PMID: 12029251 Document Number: 552007
We report the use of a pumpless extracorporeal lung assist (PECLA) in 70 patients with severe pulmonary failure of various causes. The device was used under rescue conditions in patients with preserved cardiac function. By establishing a shunt between femoral artery and vein using the arterio-venous pressure gradient as the driving force for the blood flow through the oxygenator, PECLA proved to be extremely effective in terms of oxygenation and carbon dioxide removal.