ECMO sweep / flow titration helper
ECMO sweep and flow titration helper.
Open the calculator → Runs in your browser. Data leaves only if you deliberately send a problem report from the interactive tool.
Example
- Modality
- VV (respiratory)
- Patient weight
- 70 kg
- Current sweep
- 4 L/min
- Current pump flow
- 4 L/min
- Current PaCO2
- 50 mmHg
- Target PaCO2
- 40 mmHg
- Hemoglobin
- 10 g/dL
- SaO2 or post-oxygenator SatO2
- 90 % or fraction
- Age group
- adult
Result: Suggested sweep 5 L/min; DO2i ~6.9 mL/kg/min (ELSO figure for an adult: 3 mL/kg/min).
The tool opens with these values already filled in. Replace them with your own.
What the result means
- DO2i below the age group's figure
- Below ELSO's circuit oxygen delivery figure (neonate 6, child 4-5, adult 3 mL/kg/min); increase pump flow.
- VV arterial saturation over 80%
- Adequate VV support per ELSO; do not titrate to perfect saturation.
What you enter
- Modality
- Patient weight
- Current sweep
- Current pump flow
- Current PaCO2 (for the sweep titration)
- Target PaCO2 (defaults to 40 mmHg, which the reading names)
- Hemoglobin (with the saturation, for DO2i and the flow suggestion)
- SaO2 or post-oxygenator SatO2 (with the hemoglobin, for DO2i)
- Age group (sets the ELSO oxygen delivery figure; without it the flow is not titrated)
How this is calculated
Citation
ELSO General Guidelines for all ECLS Cases, Version 1.4, August 2017: circuit oxygen delivery at least normal metabolism (neonates 6, children 4-5, adults 3 mL/kg/min); VV support adequate above 80% arterial saturation. The sweep step is the proportional PaCO2 rule. Read the source ↗
A reference and educational tool. Not medical, legal, or financial advice, and not a substitute for clinician judgment.