Adult ECMO performed with surface-heparinized equipment.

To avoid the drawbacks of systemic anticoagulation during prolonged extracorporeal lung assist, a heparinization technique has been developed by which partially degraded heparin is covalently end-point attached to the surface of the equipment that constitutes the extracorporeal circuit (Carmeda Bio-Active Surface; CABS). Four patients have been treated with extracorporeal carbon dioxide elimination and low pressure-low frequency ventilation for acute respiratory failure (ARF) by means of extracorporeal equipment coated with the CBAS. The author's experience is that by using the CBAS technique it is possible to perform an extracorporeal circulation on a prolonged basis with minimal systemically administered heparin, thus avoiding the risk of major coagulation defects.