Monash Medical Centre ICU has welcomed the introduction of a dedicated ECMO team, improving our ability to deliver critical care interventions for our patients.
ECMO stands for extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation and refers to the process of using a machine to provide temporary life-saving support for a patient’s lungs and/or their heart.
The ECMO console pumps a patient’s blood outside of their body, removing the carbon dioxide and returning the blood with oxygen to the patient’s body. This process allows time for further life-saving procedures to be performed or time for their lungs and/or heart to recover.
Pictured: An extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine (centre).
When asked about the significance of our ECMO team, Associate Professor Tim Leong Service Director, Intensive Care Medicine shared how this was an ‘important development for Monash Health’ and our ability to deliver life-saving specialist care for a vulnerable patient cohort.
Prior to the launch of this team, the ICU was well-supported by our cardiac surgeons, the Alfred ICU ECMO team and external perfusion services in the delivery of ECMO.
A dedicated ECMO team will further facilitate a streamlined process and initiate a rapid response to the early recognition of severe lung and/or heart failure, leading to increased efficiency and improved outcomes in the provision of ECMO.
The launch of our ECMO service has also led to the introduction of new roles and development opportunities for our ICU teams.
Newly appointed ECMO Nurse Specialists (ENS) will manage the ECMO console at the patient’s bedside, a responsibility previously held by perfusion services. A group of senior employees have undergone extensive training and simulation in order to fulfil these roles, offering ongoing development for our Monash Health teams and our ability to deliver specialist critical care.
Pictured (L-R) the dedicated ECMO team consists of: Ms Yolanda Cox, ECMO Coordinator CNC; Dr David Antognini, Consultant Intensivist; Dr Adrian Pakavakis, Consultant Intensivist; Dr Robert Olver, Consultant Intensivist; Dr Brendan Murfin, Deputy Director MMC ICU and Monash ECMO Lead; and Associate Professor Tim Leong, Service Director, Intensive Care Medicine (not pictured).
Approved by Dr Anjali Dhulia.