Overview
Dr. Cara Agerstrand is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of the Medical ECMO Program at Columbia University Irving Medical Center / NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Agerstrand completed her Internal Medicine residency and Pulmonary & Critical Care fellowship at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She is an elected member of the Steering Committee of the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization, a member of the ECMO and Mechanical Circulatory Support Domain Task Force of the American College of Chest Physicians and is extensively involved in clinical care, research, and educational efforts involving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal (ECCO2R). She has special interests in the use of ECMO for severe forms of the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), pulmonary hypertension and in pregnant and postpartum patients. Dr. Agerstrand is widely published and is an internationally invited speaker.
Areas of Expertise / Conditions Treated
- Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)
- Critical Care
- Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)
- General Pulmonology
- Pulmonary Critical Care Medicine
- Pulmonary Disease
- Pulmonary Embolism
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Respiratory Failure
Academic Appointments
- Associate Professor of Medicine at CUMC
Administrative Titles
- Director of the Medical ECMO Program
Hospital Affiliations
- NewYork-Presbyterian / Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Gender
- Female
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Credentials & Experience
Education & Training
- MD, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
- Residency: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center
- Fellowship: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center
Board Certifications
- Internal Medicine
- Critical Care Medicine
- Pulmonary Disease Medicine
Honors & Awards
- Extracorporeal Life Support Organization International Steering Committee
- Extracorporeal Life Support Organization Conference Chair
- Extracorporeal Life Support Organization ECMOEd American College of Chest Physicians
- Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) and Mechanical Circulatory Support Domain Task Force
- Distinguished Educator Award, American College of Chest Physicians
Research
Research Interests
- Acute Lung Injury
- Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)
- Air pollution and Asthma
- Critical Care Outcomes
- Extracorporeal CO2 Removal
- Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)
Grants
Stony World-Herbert Fund
Selected Publications
- Agerstrand CL, Chillrud SN, Jung KH, Chang HW, Rosa MJ, Moors K, Divjan A, Perzanowski MS, Perera FP, Miller RL. Increased Residential Levels Of Ambient Nickel Are Associated With Asthma-Related Outcomes In Urban Children. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2012; 185: A5681.
- Miller RL, Agerstrand CL. Targeting of household air pollution: Interpretation of RESPIRE. Lancet. 2011, Nov 12; 378(9804):1682-4. PMID: 22078673.
- Agerstrand C, Burkart K, Baldwin M, Bulman W, Brenner K, Bacchetta M, Brodie D. Conservative blood transfusion strategies are effective for the management of adult patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2011, 183: A1655
- Baldwin M, Bulman W, Agerstrand C, Brenner K, Burkart K, Bacchetta M, Brodie D. Veno-venous extra corporeal membrane oxygenation with bi-caval dual lumen internal jugular catheter permits safe transport of adult patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2011, 183: A1649.
- Brenner K, Baldwin M, Agerstrand C, Bulman W, Burkart K, Bacchetta M, Brodie D. Improvements in dynamic pulmonary compliance with a very low tidal volume ventilation strategy and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2011, 183: A1648.
- Kawut, SM, Al-Naamani N, Agerstrand C, Berman Rosenzweig E, Rowan C, Barst RJ, Bergmann S, Horn EM. Determinants of right ventricular ejection fraction in pulmonary arterial hypertension. Chest. 2009, Mar; 135(3):752-9. PMID: 18849396.
- Bakken AM, Galaria II, Agerstrand CL, Saad WE, Surowiec SM, Singh MJ, Rhodes JM, Lee D, Patel NC, Illig KA, Waldman DL, Davies MG. Percutaneous therapy to maintain dialysis access successfully prolongs functional duration after primary failure. Annals of Vascular Surgery. 2007, Jul; 21(4):474-80. PMID: 17499964
- Agerstrand C, Taubman M. Role of glucocorticoid receptor in mediating the stability of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 mRNA. University of Rochester Medical Center Research Symposium, Rochester, NY, September 2003.