EXTRICATE

The project "Understanding ExtracorporealMembrane Oxygenation InducedCoaguloapathy- A Prospective Cohort Study in theIntensiveCare Unit" (EXTRICATE), funded by the Else Kröner-Fresenius Foundation, focuses on research into blood coagulation disorders during ECMO treatments.

During ECMO treatment (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), the blood is supplied with oxygen outside the body by a machine - this is particularly necessary for severe lung diseases.

In this project, together with the University Hospital of Cologne, we are investigating why seriously ill patients in the intensive care unit often experience blood clotting disorders during such ECMO treatment.

These changes can lead to the formation of blood clots (thromboses or embolisms) - for example strokes - or to severe bleeding, for example in the brain or lungs. Such complications can hinder healing or even be life-threatening.

The aim of the study is therefore to better understand the causes of these blood clotting disorders. This should enable complications to be better prevented or specifically treated in future.