SCAI 2026 Workshop on the Treatment of Pulmonary Embolism-When to ECMO, Dr. Lakhter

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The talk reviews VA-ECMO for acute pulmonary embolism, especially in fulminant cardiopulmonary failure or cardiac arrest. ECMO can unload the right ventricle, improve oxygenation, and stabilize patients for possible interventions or intubation. The speaker notes guideline support for ECMO in refractory shock when resources are available, discusses differential hypoxia and monitoring with right radial arterial sampling, and explains when VA-ECMO may need conversion to VAV-ECMO. Evidence suggests eCPR may outperform conventional CPR, while additional therapies after ECMO, like thrombolysis or thrombectomy, remain poorly established.

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Keywords

VA-ECMO

acute pulmonary embolism

cardiopulmonary failure

eCPR

thrombectomy