The Role of ECMO in COVID-19: Can It Provide Rescue Therapy in Those Who Are Critically Ill?

Overview

Journal J Card Surg

Specialties Cardiology & Vascular Diseases
General Surgery

Date 2020 May 23

PMID 32442347

Citations 26

Authors

Sugeevan Savarimuthu

Jalal BinSaeid

Amer Harky

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Arising from the city of Wuhan, Hubei province in China, a novel coronavirus named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has been rapidly spreading since its first presentation in late 2019. The World Health Organization declared a pandemic on the 11th March 2020, and as of 29th of April 2020 more than 3 million cases have been reported worldwide with over 225 000 confirmed deaths. Where mechanical ventilation may not be enough, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) could play a role as a form of rescue therapy and may provide beneficial results in the hands of skilled clinicians in centers with experience of using ECMO appropriately in selected patients. Our understanding of COVID-19 is ever-changing and the need for intensive care beds is rising, which means that ECMO will surely play a key role in the near future.

Citing Articles

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Factors Associated with Outcomes of Patients with Veno-Venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for COVID-19.

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