Practice Test GeeksCES - Certified ECMO Specialist Practice Test
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ECMO Complications & Management Flashcards

6 cards from real CES practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 6 ECMO Complications & Management flashcards as text

  1. Recirculation in a VV ECMO circuit results in:

    Answer: Decreased effective oxygen delivery despite high circuit flow because oxygenated blood is re-drained before reaching the patient

    Recirculation occurs when oxygenated blood from the return cannula is immediately re-drained, reducing the fraction of oxygenated blood actually delivered to the patient.

  2. What is the most effective way to reduce recirculation in a bicaval dual-lumen VV ECMO cannula?

    Answer: Repositioning the cannula so the return port faces the tricuspid valve

    Correct positioning of the dual-lumen cannula with the return port (Avalon/ProtekDuo) directed toward the tricuspid valve minimizes recirculation.

  3. Hypertension (systemic) is a common complication in neonatal ECMO and is best managed by:

    Answer: Antihypertensive therapy to prevent intracranial hemorrhage

    Systemic hypertension in neonates on ECMO significantly increases the risk of intracranial hemorrhage and must be treated with antihypertensive agents.

  4. A sudden drop in ECMO flow with high circuit pressures and visible dark, sluggish blood most likely indicates:

    Answer: Massive circuit thrombosis

    Dark sluggish blood with rising pressures and dropping flow indicates widespread circuit thrombosis, requiring emergency circuit change-out.

  5. Thrombocytopenia on ECMO is caused by all of the following EXCEPT:

    Answer: Increased thrombopoietin production causing sequestration

    Thrombocytopenia on ECMO is caused by consumption, HIT, and hemodilution — thrombopoietin actually promotes platelet production rather than causing sequestration.

  6. Which clinical sign most specifically indicates a cannula-related complication during ECMO?

    Answer: Sudden unexplained desaturation with loss of circuit flow

    Sudden desaturation combined with loss of circuit flow suggests cannula dislodgment, kinking, or obstruction — a direct cannula-related emergency.