Outcomes of patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: Direct vs consultative advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology physicians’ role

Table 1 Comparison of veno-arterial and veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Feature	Veno-arterial ECMO	Veno-venous ECMO
Cardiac support	Supports systemic circulation	Does not support systemic circulation
Cannulation	Arterial and venous	Venous only
Pulmonary circulation	Decreases pulmonary artery pressures	Maintains pulmonary circulation
Perfusion rates	Requires lower rates	Requires higher rates
Partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood	Higher achievable	Lower achievable
ECMO circuit configuration	Connected in parallel to heart and lungs	Connected in series to heart and lungs

ECMO: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.