24-hour extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in the hypoxic dog: hemodynamics and pulmonary gas exchange.

Hemodynamic and pulmonary gas exchange values were investigated during 24-hour extracorporeal membrane oxygenation performed on 7 anesthetized dogs subjected to alveolar hypoxia. The chief effects of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation were demonstrated. The duration of the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was associated with a progressive decline in the systemic arterial pressure and heart rate and a progressive increase in the pulmonary blood flow rate. Left-ventricular stroke work remained constant. The sum of the pulmonary and extracorporeal oxygen uptakes showed no change in spite of large variations in pulmonary flow rate.