Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of sedatives and antimicrobials on ECMO (Ryan Rivosecchi / Safa Al Marzooq)
Critical Care Drug Management Challenges in ECMO
1. ECMO Drug Therapy Challenges
Dr Safa presents the complexities of drug therapy during ECMO, highlighting how it alters pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics—affecting drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. She explains how medication properties, such as protein binding and lipophilicity, can lead to drug sequestration within the ECMO circuit, impacting efficacy. Understanding these changes is essential for maintaining therapeutic levels and improving outcomes in critically ill patients.
2. ECMO Anticoagulation and Sedation Protocols
Dr Safa outlines current anticoagulation practices, emphasizing the use of unfractionated heparin for its reversibility and short half-life, with monitoring via ACT, aPTT, and anti-Xa. She also addresses the sedation challenges in ECMO, noting increased sensitivity, altered pharmacodynamics, and the risk of tolerance, requiring multimodal approaches and careful titration.
3. ECMO Antibiotic Dosing Guidelines
Dr Safa discusses the lack of standardized antibiotic dosing guidelines in ECMO and the need for pharmacokinetic studies. She highlights the impact of increased volume distribution and circuit-related drug loss, recommending loading doses, renal-adjusted maintenance, extended infusions, and close therapeutic monitoring—especially for nephrotoxic or protein-bound agents like ceftriaxone.
4. ECMO Medication Dosing Strategies
Dr Safa reviews clinical data on drug dosing in ECMO, focusing on sequestration of lipophilic agents like midazolam and morphine, and rapid loss of dexmedetomidine. She explains that these drugs may require increased dosing, while antibiotics may benefit from prolonged infusions. She concludes by emphasizing a multidisciplinary strategy to optimize medication use in ECMO care.