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. 2021 Sep;36(6):559-563.
doi: 10.1177/0267659120961507. Epub 2020 Oct 2.

COVID19 Acute respiratory distress syndrome and extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation; A mere option or ultimate necessity

Taha Ahmed  1 , Talha Ahmed  1 , Hussain Karimi  1 , Leslie Tolle  1 , Muhammad Nouman Iqbal  1
Affiliations

COVID19 Acute respiratory distress syndrome and extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation; A mere option or ultimate necessity

Taha Ahmed et al. Perfusion. 2021 Sep.

Abstract

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is considered a salvage therapy in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and refractory hypoxemia (hypoxemia persisting despite lung-protective ventilation). One aspect of ECMO is whether there would be an application of the technology related to the Coronavirus pandemic. The number of people diagnosed with Coronavirus disease (COVID19) has crossed the five million mark on 9 August 2020, with a case fatality rate of 5.2%. Due to this exponential increase in the number of coronavirus disease (COVID19) cases particularly the ones associated with ARDS, experts are evaluating the need for ECMO in intensive care units. Herein, we chronicle a review encompassing the available evidence on ECMO and its potential role in COVID19 ARDS, as we aim for optimal patient care with appropriate resource utilization and conservation.

Keywords: COVID-19; ECMO; VV-ECMO; acute respiratory distress syndrome; extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

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