International heart journal
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Although extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is widely used as temporary circulation support, there are no reports of direct parameters indicating cardiac recovery to determine the timing of weaning off. Twenty-five patients supported by ECMO due to hemodynamic deterioration were divided into 2 groups according to their outcome: weaned ECMO (W: n = 18) or not (NW: n = 7). In the W group, we examined the differences in parameters between the 2 time points, ECMO introduction, and the reduction in ECMO flow to 40% of the initial setting known as the conventional recovery point (C-point). ⋯ The E-point was defined as an initial increase in ETCO(2) of >or= 5 mmHg over the preceding 12 hours with a continued rise over the next 12 hours. E-points appeared as much as 95 +/- 60 hours earlier than C-points and also preceded weaning off of ECMO. ETCO(2) can be a useful continuous parameter for predicting the adequate timing of weaning off of ECMO for circulatory failure at the bedside.