Transportation of patients under extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support on an airliner: Flying bridge to transplantation.

Background: A retrieval programme was developed in Martinique (French West Indies) to provide extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for patients in the Caribbean, where heart transplantation and ventricular assist devices are not available. In 2011, the Department of Cardiac Surgery at the University Hospital of Fort-de-France (Martinique) developed a transfer programme to Paris (France) on an airliner, to refer patients for whom extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was not weanable to heart transplantation or a ventricular assist device.

Aim: To report this unique experience of transportation of patients under extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support on an airliner from the French West Indies to Paris.

[The prophylaxis of the thromboembolic disease in the head trauma].

Background: The prophylaxis of the thromboembolic disease in the severe head trauma remains a controversy.

Aim: In this study, we are interested to the determination of under groups of patients for whom the advantages of the prophylaxis of the thromboembolic disease (TED) are higher than its disadvantages.

Methods: We proceeded to a retrospective study based on patient medical records ranging from March 2003 until March 2004, enrolling 56 consecutive patients.