Indications for ECMO: we need to look at the patient first

摘要

In 1972, the first adult extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support was initiated in an intensive care setting. A 24-year-old trauma patient who developed severe ARDS was peripherally cannulated and then successfully treated with partial veno-arterial perfusion for 75 hours.1 The foundations of modern ECMO were established in pediatric and neonatal medicine by Professor Robert Bartlett who is today regarded as the father of ECMO. However, the ECMO path for adults was initially difficult with very low survival rates.