Over the last several months, Extracorporeal Membrane\nOxygenation (ECMO) has been used for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. In a\nrecent study, 40 consecutive patients between the ages of 22 and 64 years of\nage were place on ECMO as a treatment for respiratory related complications\noriginating from COVID-19. All 40 patients were able to be fully disconnected\nfrom their ventilators. Six of the 40 patients died despite the various\ntreatments that were administered. As of July 17 2020, 29 of the 40 patients\nwere successfully discharged from the hospital and sent home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first use of ECMO was recorded in the 1960s and was\nmainly used on pediatric patients with severe respiratory related complications.\nECMO provides prolonged cardiac and respiratory support when a patient\u2019s heart\nand lungs are damaged or are failing. Using ECMO allows the patient\u2019s heart and\nlungs to rest and heal while still maintaining adequate perfusion and\noxygenation. ECMO is achieved by inserting canula tubing into the patient\u2019s\nfemoral veins and arteries. Through these tubes the patient\u2019s blood is taken\nout of his or her body, run through the ECMO machine where it is oxygenated and\nfiltered, and then placed back into the patient\u2019s body to be circulated. When\nusing ECMO, patients do not need to be placed on a ventilator. There are many\nbenefits of placing a patient on an ECMO machine versus keeping the patient on\na ventilator, one of which is that the patient does not need a tracheostomy or\nneed to be intubated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n