ECMO · Oxygen delivery & perfusion
Calculate systemic arterial oxygen content and delivery, then estimate oxygen transferred across the ECMO membrane lung from paired circuit blood gases.
Circuit oxygen transfer and systemic oxygen delivery describe different parts of oxygen transport. Interpret separately with the ECMO team and local protocol.
Open calculator ↓Enter arterial and circuit samples from the same clinical interval.
Calculated results
CaO₂ = 1.34 × Hb (g/dL) × saturation (fraction) + 0.003 × PO₂ (mmHg).
VV systemic DO₂ = arterial CaO₂ × cardiac output (L/min) × 10.
Transfer = (post-oxygenator content − pre-oxygenator content) × ECMO blood flow × 10.
Use paired representative samples during stable circuit conditions. Manufacturer comparisons depend on oxygenator model and matching gas and flow conditions. Educational calculation only; not treatment advice or a diagnosis of oxygenator dysfunction.
This ECMO oxygen transfer calculator estimates how much oxygen the membrane lung adds to blood passing through the circuit. It also calculates arterial oxygen content from hemoglobin, measured oxygen saturation, and oxygen partial pressure. In VV ECMO, enter cardiac output to estimate systemic oxygen delivery; in VA ECMO, the arterial content remains tied to the selected sampling site.
The calculator subtracts pre-oxygenator oxygen content from post-oxygenator oxygen content, then multiplies by ECMO blood flow. The factor of 10 converts liters to deciliters, giving estimated oxygen transfer in mL O₂/min.
Transfer = (Cpost − Cpre) × flow × 10
Circuit oxygen transfer describes oxygen added across the membrane lung. Systemic DO₂ describes oxygen carried to the body by blood flow. These are related but different measurements; a circuit transfer value alone does not establish adequate tissue oxygen delivery.
Native cardiac output and oxygenated circuit return can mix at different locations. A single arterial gas therefore represents its sampling site, not necessarily oxygenation throughout the body. This version reports sample-specific CaO₂ and does not calculate whole-body VA DO₂.
Use pre- and post-oxygenator samples drawn close together during the same circuit conditions, and pair them with the recorded circuit flow. Changes in flow or gas conditions between samples can change the estimate. Interpret results with the ECMO team and local protocol; this educational tool does not diagnose oxygenator failure or guide treatment.
Enter circuit hemoglobin, pre- and post-oxygenator oxygen saturation and PO₂, plus ECMO blood flow. The calculator derives oxygen content on both sides of the membrane lung and estimates the difference multiplied by circuit flow.
The equation is 1.34 × hemoglobin × oxygen saturation fraction + 0.003 × PO₂. The saturation is entered as a percent and converted to a fraction by the calculator.
No. It reports arterial oxygen content for the selected sample site and circuit oxygen transfer. Because VA ECMO can create regional differences in oxygenation, this version does not infer whole-body systemic DO₂ from one arterial sample.
It estimates oxygen added to blood across the membrane lung for the entered samples and flow. It is one part of gas-exchange assessment and should be interpreted alongside clinical findings, circuit conditions, trends, and local ECMO-team guidance.