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Pediatric Critical Care pp 231–241Cite as

Anticoagulation for Extracorporeal Life Support

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Abstract

Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) was developed initially to treat patients with severe respiratory failure over 40 years ago. As the technology associated with ECLS has advanced over the years, the number of centers registered by the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) and, accordingly, the number of children treated with ECLS have steadily increased. One of the many challenges associated with ECLS is the management of hemostasis, which necessitates balancing the risk of bleeding and the risks of circuit and patient thrombotic complications. In this chapter, we will present some of the controversial aspects of anticoagulation monitoring and treatment for patients who require ECLS, review some of the current common practices, and discuss newer developments in this field.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Critical Care Unit, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel

    Danny Eytan

  2. Department of Critical Care, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Danny Eytan & Gail M. Annich

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  1. Danny Eytan
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  2. Gail M. Annich
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Correspondence to Gail M. Annich .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Riley Hospital for Children, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Christopher W. Mastropietro

  2. Riley Hospital for Children, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Kevin M. Valentine

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Eytan, D., Annich, G.M. (2019). Anticoagulation for Extracorporeal Life Support. In: Mastropietro, C., Valentine, K. (eds) Pediatric Critical Care. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-96499-7_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-96499-7_13

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