A rational approach on the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in severe hypoxemia: advanced technology is not a panacea

Annals of Intensive Care

Table 3 ECMO complications

Category	Event	Mechanism
Mechanical	ECMO malfunction	Tubing kinking
Mechanical	Oxygenator failure	Tubing rupture/disconnection/blood clots Blood clots or air in circuit or oxygenator
Insertion-related	Vascular bleeding	Vessel injury
	Vascular dissection
	Vascular thrombosis
	Air embolism	Air in blood
	Limb ischemia	Vessel injury
	Pneumothorax	Organ injury
	Organ perforation
Medical
Hematologic	Non-traumatic bleeding	Anticoagulation
	Thrombosis/embolism	Platelet dysfunction or consumption
	Hemolysis	Hemostatic derangement
Neurologic	CSN bleeding	Bleeding
	CNS ischemia	Thrombosis/hypotension
	CNS infarction	Loss of cerebral autoregulation
	Seizures	Arterial pressure variations PaCO2 changes Reperfusion injury
Inflammatory	Infections/SIRS	Microorganisms/inflammatory activation
Renal	Acute kidney injury	Renal hypoperfusion Ischemia–reperfusion Fluid overload SIRS/sepsis Coagulopathy