ECMO

The 31-year-old UF Department of Surgery vascular surgery fellow didn’t expect to need an ER visit — let alone an ICU bed, or a last-ditch ECMO cannulation, all within hours of arriving at UF Health Shands Hospital. And, frankly, neither did anyone else.

In March, Ronald “Ronny” Pruitt, the head football coach for Union County High School in Lake Butler, and his wife, Robin, packed their bags for a spring break trip to the Bahamas. Before leaving, Ronny had the beginning of what seemed like a cold. His family physician prescribed a Z-Pak…