Clinical Practice With Preprimed Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: Safety, Sterility, and Functionality

This 5 year retrospective study presents the clinical experience with preprimed extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) circuits used in a Single Hub Center Hospital, focusing on sterility, functionality, and safety. The ECMO program has been active since 2019, with a total of 223 circuits managed. Our preassembled and preprimed ECMO circuits were stored in a sterile environment and continuously circulated until implantation. Sterility and functionality testing was performed at the end of circuit preparation, every 7 days, and before implantation. Our results show that only 2 (0.3%) of the 570 samples tested positive for bacteria, and all implanted devices demonstrated satisfactory gas transfer performance. None of the ECMO devices demonstrated any loss of early functionality after implantation. The longest storage period of a preprimed circuit was 73 days, with no positive culture results. Our study highlights the importance of preassembled and preprimed ECMO circuits in improving clinical practice in emergency situations, highlighting their safety and potential to improve clinical practice. Furthermore, our findings suggest that standardizing guidelines for prepriming and storage of ECMO circuits can help minimize the risk of contamination.