Palo Alto, Calif. – October 01, 2026 -- TurnCare, Inc. reported a 36.2% reduction in total hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs) among ECMO patients following implementation of its GuardianTM System, according to new clinical data presented at the 37th Annual Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) 2026 Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
Single-center study tracks outcomes across 2,707 ECMO days
The retrospective pre- and post-cohort analysis, conducted at M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center, compared a baseline group of 317 ECMO patients (327 runs, 2,112 ECMO days) against a Guardian-treated cohort of 92 patients (97 runs, 595 ECMO days). Chris Linke, MHI, RN, CSSMBB, presented the findings.
Sacral-region injuries drop 40.8%, Stage 2 cases fall 72.7%
Sacral-region HAPI incidence declined from 14.2 to 8.4 events per 1,000 ECMO days, a 40.8% reduction. Sacral-region Stage 2 HAPIs fell 72.7%, while Stage 2 injuries overall dropped 45.4%. Total HAPI incidence fell from 55.4 to 35.3 events per 1,000 ECMO days.
ECMO survival rate climbs from 53.2% to 57.8%
The center also recorded an increase in ECMO survival, rising from 53.2% in the baseline cohort to 57.8% after Guardian System implementation. Linke said pressure injury prevention remains difficult in ECMO patients due to critical illness, prolonged immobility and complex care requirements, and that dynamic perfusion enhancement systems offer a mechanism to restore blood flow as part of broader prevention strategy.
TurnCare points to underlying blood-flow impairment as prevention target
Linda Seaman, VP of Clinical Affairs at TurnCare, said the results address an underlying cause of pressure injury risk in ECMO patients -- impaired blood flow -- rather than relying solely on conventional repositioning protocols. TurnCare said it plans to continue building clinical evidence for the Guardian System's impact in ECMO care settings.