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2026, Number 2

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Med Crit 2026; 40 (2)

Disconnection from ECMO in palliative care: avoiding a «bridge to suffering»

Villagrana MSA

Language: Spanish
References: 24
Page: 136-141
PDF size: 581.62 Kb.


ABSTRACT

The use of technology to treat critically ill patients has increased in recent years. One such example is extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), which has been shown to reduce mortality in these patients. However, difficulties and ethical dilemmas have arisen, especially when the illness progresses to terminal stages or when continuing ECMO seems futile due to complications inherent to the critically ill patient. The integration of a palliative care team focused on comprehensively validating emotions, treating symptoms, improving comfort, and managing communication appears to be very helpful; unfortunately, their involvement often comes late. The process of withdrawing life support is often distressing not only for family members but also for the clinical team, leading to doubts about their work and causing emotional distress. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to acknowledge this possibility from the outset of a case, as well as to integrate palliative care into the treatment team and consider consultations with the hospital’s bioethics committee. This review will address this difficult situation from the perspective of both the medical team and the family. Important concepts will be clarified, and recommendations will be made based on various guidelines that address this topic.


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