Role of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) in COVID 19: A Boom in Treatment

Abstract

Maximum physicians endorsed the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support for COVID-19-related acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure patients. Initial investigations of ECMO use in patients with COVID-19 described very high mortality and there have been no large, international cohort studies of ECMO for COVID-19 reported to date. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy has been around since the 1970s and has completely changed how critical physicians view supportive therapy patient's care. ECMO provides cardio-respiratory support when other treatment therapies fail. In ECMO, different arrangements of cannulae shunt blood to circulate through the machine, and hence oxygenated outside the body. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation configurations can be simple like Veno-venous and Arteriovenous venous or complex like hybrid cannulation modes and Venopulmonary artery configurations. ECMO is a lifesaving therapy but it is not without complications, patients’ selection should be careful and monitoring during the treatment is crucial. This review paper emphasizes on the detail study of ECMO therapy used in COVID-19 patients.