Transferring because of ECMO Machine

[esteeossy]

Hello all, please wanted to ask if it is possible to move a critical ill patient on ventilator to another hospital that has ECMO Machine, as the hospital my husband is in doesn't have an ECMO Machine.

[Ren2985]

Yes, my dad was moved to another hospital. I’m not 100% sure if it was because of the machines as more so to make room for more incoming patients. The transfer went fine

[ROMM53]

I think ECMO hospitals have strict criteria for accepting ventilated Covid patients. My husband was declined for ECMO transfer because his kidneys had also failed.

[Sepsur]

Yes but as ROMM53 stated - there are strict criteria.

All the time I was in ICU, my family were told that when it got bad enough, I would be transferred to Wythenshawe for ECMO, my ICU team were in constant contact with the ECMO team.

The day when everything failed to work, came. The icu team contacted Wythenshawe to have me transferred, now they refused to take me because ( the reason given) I wouldnot survive the journey between hospitals.

Remember though, despite all that I survived.

[Copse77]

Yes my brother was moved to a hospital that had an ECMO machine as the one he was in didn’t not have ECMO. ECMO was life saving for him. I will private message you.

[Xyluh]

Yes, it is completely possible. My partner had to be transferred to another hospital specifically for that. The hospital will usually send out a referral and find one that has an ECMO available, then complete it and helicopter them out.