“Basic ECMO” Workshop Enhances Expertise in Critical Patient Care
Recently, the Bangkok Chiang Mai Heart Disease Center held a workshop #BasicECMO “Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation” conducted by distinguished medical speakers, including Assoc. Prof. Dr. Virot Navarawong, Medical Director, together with thoracic surgeons Assoc. Prof. Dr. Athapoom Susupan, Dr. Siriwat Aganittaphichat, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thitipong Thepsuwan, with 2 sessions. It attracted the interest of over 40 participants including doctors, nurses, and cardiovascular technologists from Bangkok Chiang Mai Hospital.
The aim of the workshop was to promote and support doctors, nurses, and cardiovascular technologists at Bangkok Chiang Mai Hospital in developing clinical skills, exchanging knowledge, ideas, and experiences of a multidisciplinary team to care for complex or critically ill patients with safety and maximum effectiveness.
The workshop was divided into 2 sessions: basic knowledge lecture on ECMO and practical simulation scenarios such as using ECMO machines and solving basic and complex problems in patient care.
ECMO, or “Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation”, is a technology that supports lung and heart functions, capable of being used for several days outside the operating room, unlike the temporary use of Heart-Lung Machines in the operating room.
The ECMO team of Bangkok Chiang Mai Hospital places importance on continuously developing the knowledge of medical personnel to be ready to handle critical conditions, such as:
- Patients experiencing cardiac arrest due to acute myocardial infarction
- Patients with pulmonary embolism
- Patients with respiratory failure, such as ARDS, H1N1, Covid-19
- Patients who have undergone heart surgery but whose heart and lungs have not yet resumed functioning
- Patients on mechanical ventilation for an extended period
- Patients waiting for a heart or lung transplant
