What are ECMO machines, and how do they save lives?

Dr Julie Gillies is a Consultant Haemotologist with the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, and our Clinical Lead for Transfusion.

Dr Gillies has worked with SNBTS for two and a half years in a variety of roles within patient services, and provides clinical and laboratory advice to clinicians as well as working in the clinical apheresis unit. Prior to this appointment, she worked as a haemato-oncologist in the West of Scotland. We wanted to ask her about ECMO machines - they're are lifesaving technologies, but they're not well known in everyday life - so who better to explain them than Dr Julie?

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'At Christmas time I spoke to you about the importance of your gift in supporting patients who had blood cancers and who had received chemotherapy. I wanted to tell you about another group of patients who need your help.

The ECMO machine works by pumping dark coloured blood out of the patient, into the machine where oxygen is added and carbon dioxide removed. The blood is then returned to the patient via another vein. Dr Julie Gillies

'Although almost two thirds of the platelets you donate are used for patients with blood disorders including cancer, there are also patients who need platelets because they are being treated on an ECMO machine.

'ECMO stands for extra corporeal membrane oxygenation, and it is used to treat patients with severe heart or lung failure. This treatment essentially performs the job of the lungs – it removes carbon dioxide from the blood and adds oxygen to it. This allows the heart and lungs to rest and recover while other treatments are put in place to help. ECMO gives the patient the time to heal those vital organs.

'ECMO can be used for a huge array of patients - from those born with cardiac defects, to people waiting for or recovering from transplants to those with sepsis that result in heart or lung failure. It was also used successfully throughout the Covid-19 pandemic in individuals who developed lung failure. It can also be used to treat patients with pneumonia, for anaphylaxis and for people who have sustained severe injuries. Patients who receive ECMO can be of any age (from the very young to the very old, and any age in between). The time on this treatment can vary.

'The machine works by pumping blood from the patient to the ECMO machine where carbon dioxide is removed and oxygen is added. The blood is then returned to the patient. However, as with most treatments there are side effects associated with ECMO. The device takes a high toll on the patients platelets and these platelets are prematurely destroyed. Platelets are the small cells in the blood that along with factors produced by the liver help blood to clot. As the platelets are destroyed and because the patient is put on to a blood thinner when on the ECMO machine, the risk of bleeding is increased. To reduce this risk the patient requires a platelet transfusion and platelets may need to be given on a daily basis

'We would like to thank you for continued help and for your donations. Without your donations these patients would be at heightened risk of bleeding which could threaten their lives and impair their recovery. Your gift is the gift of life, not only to the patients but to their families too.'

• Make an appointment to give blood and you never know - your gift may be received by someone needing ECMO