ID:180 FC-NP1-10 Occupational Therapy (OT) and Rehabilitation of the Adult Patient on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)

BACKGROUND Clinical Course: In 2026, 1,046 adult patients have been placed on ECMO worldwide and 47% of those patients have survived to discharge or transfer. Depending on the ECMO center, OT may be consulted for some of these patients. Tiedebohl et al (2020) identified OT as one of the most frequently used post-discharge services for ECMO survivors. OT practitioners “address the needs of critically ill individuals by implementing evidence-based critical care guidelines that aim to improve the quality of survivorship,” but what happens when there is little to no evidence available? Discussion: Current ECMO guidelines do not include OT protocols while a patient is on ECMO. When asked “What is occupational therapy’s role in the rehabilitation of patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation?” in PubMed, only 2 results appear. 10 results were returned using the key words “ECMO” and “OT” in PubMed and 5 results appear in domestic and international OT journals. This limited amount of available evidence can be frustrating for OT practitioners looking for guidance on how to treat this population. Without evidence based or best practice guidelines on how to deal with this invasive medical therapy, this can pose as a safety risk to both patients and practitioners as well as limit the practitioner’s ability to assist the patient maintain functional independence. Conclusion: This presentation will address gaps in knowledge about OT’s role in the rehabilitation of adult patients cannulated on ECMO by providing background information, drawing from research in other areas, and discussing best practice at a high volume ECMO center to guide practitioners on how to evaluate and treat this specific and unique patient population. By closing the knowledge gap, OT practitioners will have a basic foundation to guide future practice when working with these individuals.