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 (21)
✍️ Sample ECMO Questions & Answers
1. 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.
2. A neonate on femoral VA-ECMO develops progressive ipsilateral lower extremity ischemia. The most appropriate intervention is:
A distal perfusion catheter (DPC) inserted antegrade into the superficial femoral artery restores distal limb perfusion while maintaining ECMO support.
3. The primary goal of ECMO support in pediatric myocarditis is:
Myocarditis can cause fulminant cardiac failure, and ECMO provides hemodynamic support while awaiting spontaneous recovery or listing for transplantation.
4. What is the minimum gestational age generally accepted as a criterion for neonatal ECMO candidacy?
Most centers require ≥34 weeks gestational age because premature neonates face prohibitively high rates of intracranial hemorrhage on ECMO anticoagulation.
5. How does ECMO most significantly alter zinc and selenium homeostasis?
Selenium and zinc are adsorbed onto circuit components and consumed by the inflammatory response during ECMO, leading to clinically significant depletion requiring supplementation.
6. Fentanyl is significantly sequestered in ECMO circuits primarily because it is:
Fentanyl's high lipophilicity and protein binding cause it to adsorb onto ECMO tubing and the oxygenator, reducing effective plasma concentrations.
🎯 Free ECMO Practice Tests
📖 ECMO Guides & Articles
- LVAD vs ECMO: Understanding Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support Devices
- ECMO vs Life Support: Understanding Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation and Conventional Life-Sustaining Therapies
- ECMO Manual: Complete Guide to Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Procedures, Circuits, and Clinical Applications
- ECMO Monitoring: A Complete Guide to Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Surveillance
- ECMO Specialist vs Perfusionist: Roles, Duties, and Career Paths Compared
- Keystone ECMO Conference: Advancing Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Education & Clinical Practice
- ECMO Side Effects: What Patients and Families Need to Know
- Neonatal ECMO: Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Newborns — Complete Guide