Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a from of cardiopulmonary life-support for
critically ill patients where blood is extracted from the vascular system and circulated by a
mechanical pump while it is oxygenated and re-infused into the patient's circulation. It is
well known that critically ill patients may experience alterations in antibiotic
pharmacokinetics, and as a result, dosing modifications are generally required. There is a
need to understand how ECMO circuits affect the pharmacokinetics and disposition of drugs.
This study is designed to assess the pharmacokinetics of the new broad-spectrum antibiotic,
imipenem-cilastatin-relebactam, in critically ill patients receiving ECMO.