Validation of Continuous Transcutaneous Carbon Dioxide Monitoring in VA-ECMO Patients

Carbon dioxide in patients on veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) is eliminated via respirator as well as via the oxygenator's membrane of the ECMO machine. Consequently, monitoring of end-tidal carbon dioxide tensions is limited, which can result in marked swings towards non-physiological values. Hyper- and hypocapnia, however, can have detrimental effects on organ perfusion in a great number of patients supported with VA-ECMO. Continuous, rapidly applicable monitoring of reliable carbon dioxide measures would therefore be extremely helpful to prevent harmful deviations from the norm. The investigators therefore try to assess the accuracy and the precision of continuously measured non-invasive transcutaneous carbon dioxide partial pressures when compared with tensions determined by blood gas analysis.