Impact of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation on antimicrobial exposure in critically ill patients: a prospective observational study
Authors' conclusion
Antimicrobial sequestration within the ECMO circuit is detectable and drug- and component-specific. However, overall impact on systemic antimicrobial exposure appears limited.
Study context
- Population
- Critically ill patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) (veno-venous (VV) or veno-arterial (VA)) and treated with meropenem, piperacillin/tazobactam, linezolid, or ceftaroline237 samples analysed
- Participants
- 8 patients
- Exposure
- VV vs VA
- VVn = 4
- VAn = 4
- Outcome
- Antimicrobial sequestration within ECMO circuit components and PK of meropenem, piperacillin/tazobactam, linezolid and ceftaroline
Methodological detailssingle-centre
- Single-centre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Circuit-related drug sequestration
Meropenem sequestration in membrane oxygenator (mean ± SD), p = 0.046
9.28% ± 21.6%
Ceftaroline sequestration in membrane oxygenator (mean ± SD), p = 0.010
14.6% ± 17.5%
Linezolid sequestration in tubing and connectors (mean ± SD), p = 0.005
10.1% ± 12.3%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Pharmacokinetics (PK) measures across sampling sites
- Generally consistent across sampling sites
PKPD efficacy target not achieved
- Treatments not achieving predefined PKPD efficacy targets
- 20%
Original publication
Impact of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation on antimicrobial exposure in critically ill patients: a prospective observational study. Crit Care. Published 18 May 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →