Anyone have experience caring for patients on bypass?

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I need some information regarding patients on bypass.. Wasn't sure where else to turn and I've learned a lot from other posts on the AN so I figured someone on here would be able to help me..

My older brother (he'll be 44 tomorrow) was admitted to the hospital on Sat with influenza A and bilateral pneumonia, yesterday he began desatting and was transferred to ICU and intubated. He stabilized on the vent but hasn't shown any signs of improvement and his sats remain low. The docs decided he needed to be put on bypass, the hospital he was at cant do bypass and the closest available bypass machine is 4 hours away, he is currently in route to the new hospital. I have absolutely no critical care experience and know next to nothing about bypass machines. Can someone help me with what to expect? What type of prognosis he could have? He wasn't a healthy man to begin with; he's severely overweight, smokes, doesn't get a whole lot of exercise.. And he's been suffering from sleep apnea for years (he wears a c-pap when he sleeps)... Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

Are you referring to ECMO?

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I don't know. :-( I live 2 1/2 hours away from my brother so the reports I was getting were coming from my Mom who was getting them from my sis in law.. So not only are my reports going through multiple people they're also coming from people with no medical background... My mom said "they want to put him on a bypass machine to relieve the pressure from his lungs and heart" and "it's like dialysis but it's to get oxygen into the blood" I know there is a different bypass that's used during surgery and is only used for a matter of hours and then there's a bypass that can be used for days.. He didn't have surgery and I assume they need in him on bypass for more than 10 hours.. That's the extant of what I know...

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Must be ECMO..

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

ECMO stands for Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation

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It's ECMO.

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Your brother is pretty darn sick if they have to put him on ECMO! We've initiated it on flu patients this season but then transfer them out to the university hospital ASAP! I heard our last ECMO patient is doing better now. Good luck to your family!

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

I am so sorry....your brother is very sick. Here is a great handbook the the University of Michigan gives it to their patients families.

ECMO - University of Michigan Health System

http://www.med.umich.edu/ecmo/patient/AdultECMO.pdf

I am sending prayers and positives vibes for your brothers recovery. But we cannot give medical advice as per the Terms of Service.

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