Specific features of antimicrobial therapy in patients with severe respiratory failure receiving veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)

In modern medicine, the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is becoming increasingly common in the treatment of severe respiratory failure. The development of infectious complications in patients receiving ECMO often leads to an increase in the duration of the procedure and significantly increases the risk of death. Dosing of antimicrobials during ECMO remains uncertain and requires further research. Diagnosis of infectious complications during ECMO is a difficult and requires the development of diagnostic protocols and the use of routine microbiological studies. The use of antimicrobials during ECMO could be complicated due to decrease in effective plasma concentration. The adsorption of antibacterial drugs in the ECMO circuit and oxygenator, the use of infusion therapy, the development of hypoalbuminemia, as well as the high incidence of acute renal and hepatic dysfunction in critically ill patients lead to an inevitable change in the volume of distribution and clearance of antibacterial drugs. These conditions require an individual approach to the choice of antimicrobials and optimization of dosing regimens in critically ill patients receiving ECMO.