The use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is continuing to grow, with 77,542 patients in North America receiving the form of life support in the past five years, according to the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization.
During ECMO, a machine takes blood from the patient, oxygenates it and pumps it back into the patient's body. The machine provides long-term heart and lung support, giving the patient’s heart and lungs time to rest, heal and regain function.
Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) uses an ECMO machine to resuscitate patients in cardiac arrest when they have not responded to standard CPR protocols.
ECPR often proves more effective than CPR, but various implementation hurdles have prevented many hospitals from using it.
Here are seven examples of ECMO's growing incorporation into cardiac care:
- San Diego County started an ECPR Pilot Program that allows paramedics to evaluate and transport patients to designated ECPR receiving centers in the area: Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa, Calif., and Sharp Memorial Hospital and Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla in San Diego.
- The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., similarly coordinated with and trained local paramedics on transporting patients who meet ECMO criteria to Mayo's emergency department if they are not responding to shock treatment at the scene of the emergency.
- Reno, Nev.-based Renown Health opened the state's first and only ECMO program in the cardiac ICU at Renown Regional Medical Center after receiving a $3.5 million grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.
- Minneapolis-based M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center opened a dedicated ECMO Intake Center after receiving a more than $10 million grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.
- Providence St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula, Mont., acquired and trained physicians to use a new ECMO machine.
- Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minn., is expanding the hospital's ECMO program, also supported by The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, earlier this year.
- The University of Texas Health East Texas plans to offer the region’s first adult ECMO program at UT Health Tyler in Tyler, Texas, by the end of 2024.