Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation as a Bridge for Heart Failure and Cardiogenic Shock

Figure 2

Differential hypoxia formed by opposed flow between retrograde oxygenated flow and anterograde deoxygenated flow ejected by native CO. The lower body was perfused by extracorporeal oxygenated blood, whereas the upper body was perfused by deoxygenated flow from the pulmonary circulation when concomitant with respiratory failure. Limited by femoral venous cannula, high SO₂ blood from the inferior vena cava was drained back to the ECMO; blood from the superior vena cava with lower SO₂ could not be completely drained. Nondrainage venous blood ejected by native CO continually filled the upper body and coronary artery that dual circulation occurred.