Limb-related complications are major contributors to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation-associated complications. Early detection of limb ischemia and or compartment syndrome is paramount to minimizing the adverse effects. With the absence of pulsatile flow, bedside Doppler examination of distal arterial waveforms is an impractical and an unreliable method of monitoring limb perfusion. We describe a new application of near-infrared spectroscopy monitoring of tissue oxygenation for the early detection of limb complications in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
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