Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in patients with Influenza A (H1N1)

Excerpted from American Thoracic Society

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) provides continuous cardiopulmonary support on a long-term basis, typically on the order of days to weeks, as adjunctive management of severe respiratory and cardiac failure. The goal of therapy is to minimize ventilator-induced lung injury while allowing additional time to treat the underlying disease process and to permit recovery from acute injury. ECMO is a complex technique and requires...Full Story...

First Airmed–ECMO Advantage transport a success

Submitted by Waypoint on Wed, 03/24/2010 - 11:58

Fixed-wing air ambulance firm AirMed International of Birmingham, Alabama, US, has reported on its first successful mission carried out with the Tennessee-based ECMO Advantage. The two companies have formed...Full Story...

AirMed International partners with ECMO Advantage for life-saving medical flights

Birmingham, AL - December 14, 2009

AirMed International, the leading U.S. air ambulance company, announced today that it has entered a cooperative partnership with Tennessee-based ECMO Advantage to provide this life-saving medical equipment onboard its aircraft with ECMO Advantage medical professionals assisting in the transport. "Many of our customers have requested the transport of patients requiring the support of this highly specialized treatment and equipment during the flight," said AirMed Executive Vice President Denise Treadwell. "We are very pleased at this new relationship with ECMO Advantage, undoubtedly the leader in this field. This partnership will allow AirMed and ECMO Advantage to provide safe transport of these patients to recognized ECMO Centers around the nation while maintaining quality patient care."

In intensive care medicine, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is an extracorporeal technique of providing both cardiac and respiratory support oxygen to patients whose heart and lungs are so severely diseased or damaged that they can no longer serve their function. An ECMO machine is similar to a heart/lung machine and is most commonly used in neonatal intensivecare units, for newborns in pulmonary distress, but it is also used for adults that, even with the use of a ventilator, need to be oxygenated until they are able to do the job with out assistance. One of the new uses is in adults with the H1N1 virus. ECMO treatment provides oxygenation until their lung function has sufficiently recovered to maintain appropriate O2 saturation.

About the air ambulance company AirMed International

AirMed International is the country's leading air ambulance, chosen as exclusive air medical transport for the world-famous Mayo Clinic as well as a preferred carrier for the U.S. Department of Defense. AirMed is CAMTS and EURAMI accredited and operates a fleet of fully customized, fixed-wing aircraft, including the largest medical jet in the U.S., the Hawker 800. AirMed's six strategic bases of operations in Alabama, Hawaii, Minnesota, Ohio, and internationally in Beijing and Hong Kong, provide advantageous geographic coverage and rapid dispatch. AirMed International is the two-time recipient of the International Travel Insurance Journalís "Air Ambulance of the Year," and also created weatherturndown.com, an industry-wide website promoting air medical safety across the country. For more information, visit www.airmed.com or call 205-443-4880.

About ECMO Advantage

ECMO Advantage Corp brings a wealth of knowledge to the partnership by providing specialists with vast experience in supporting patients of all ages and disease processes on ECMO. Founded in May of 2007, ECMO Advantage provides extracorporeal related consulting, training, staffing and equipment rental nationwide. ECMO Advantage specialists are among the top professionals in the extracorporeal community and bring with them over 200 years combined experience in critical care and over 100 years combined experience in extracorporeal support. For more information, visit their website, www.ecmoadvantage.com.

Media Contact: Sarah Hanley 205-443-4858 shanley@airmed.com

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Because of nitric oxide’s importance, and because diabetics do not produce enough of it (which contributes to poor circulation and other problems), researchers have long tried to develop ways to deliver it from outside the body. But nitric oxide is so reactive, and thus short-lived, that delivering it is difficult. Full Story...

Upcoming Meetings:

90th Annual American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS)
May 1-5, 2010
Toronto, ON Canada

20th Annual SEECMO Meeting
May 21-23, 2010
University of Iowa

AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE RENTAL/LEASE!!

• - BIOMEDICUS 550
• - JOSTRA ROTOFLOW
• - CDI 500
• - CDI 100
• - Sorin SIII System

Please contact us at ECMO Advantage for more information.