The extracorporeal membrane oxygenation(ECMO)-associated coagulopathy is a multifactorial and quickly developing syndrome. It is characterized by individual changes of coagulation parameters and platelets and is aggravated by anticoagulants.

The underlying factors of the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation-associated coagulopathy differ between venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients and are best diagnosed by a combination of point-of-care and conventional coagulation and platelet analyses.

Therapy protocols for treating extracorporeal membrane oxygenation-associated coagulopathy should be further validated in large-scale prospective clinical investigations.

During ECMO, hemodilution and contact of blood components with artificial surfaces and shear stress inside extracorporeal membrane oxygenation additionally contributed to coagulation and platelet defects.

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