ECMO Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the ECMO exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
📋 ECMO Exam Format at a Glance
📚 ECMO Topics to Study (69)
✍️ Sample ECMO Questions & Answers
1. The term 'ECMO-CPR' (ECPR) refers to:
ECPR is the deployment of VA-ECMO during refractory cardiac arrest to restore systemic perfusion and allow time for resuscitation, intervention, or recovery.
2. Hemolysis in an ECMO circuit is best monitored by measuring:
Plasma-free hemoglobin and LDH are direct markers of red cell destruction, indicating mechanical trauma from pump cavitation, high negative pressures, or circuit thrombosis.
3. What is the significance of a 'chattering' or 'sucking' cannula during VV ECMO?
Cannula chattering occurs when the circuit intermittently collapses venous inflow, indicating inadequate preload or a positional drainage issue requiring immediate attention.
4. What happens to PaCO2 when sweep gas flow is doubled while ECMO blood flow remains constant?
Doubling sweep gas flow dramatically increases CO2 removal, often causing significant hypocapnia, so sweep adjustments require careful monitoring of blood gas values.
5. The ELSO (Extracorporeal Life Support Organization) registry reports the highest survival rates among which ECMO patient group?
Neonatal respiratory ECMO has the best outcomes, with survival to discharge approximately 73% according to ELSO registry data.
6. Following a circuit change for oxygenator failure, the ECMO specialist notes the new circuit's post-membrane pO2 is 500 mmHg on FiO2 1.0. This confirms:
A post-membrane pO2 of approximately 500 mmHg on 100% FiO2 is the expected result of a fully functional oxygenator, confirming successful circuit exchange.
🎯 Free ECMO Practice Tests
📖 ECMO Guides & Articles
- Novalung vs ECMO: Comparing Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Devices, Circuits, and Clinical Applications
- ECMO for COVID: How Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Treated Severe Cases
- Is ECMO the Same as a Heart-Lung Machine? ECMO vs. Cardiopulmonary Bypass Explained
- ECMO Console: How the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Machine Works
- ECMO Parameters: A Complete Guide to Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Settings and Monitoring
- Paris ECMO Course: Complete Training Guide for Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Specialists
- ECMO Scoring: Understanding the PRESERVE Score and Clinical Risk Tools
- ECMO Cannulation Techniques: A Complete Guide to Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Neonates and Adults