Similar Long-Term Outcomes With and Without ECMO for Mechanically Ventilated COVID-19 Patients
A nurse checking an ECMO system being used to support a critically ill COVID-19 patient at Banner Health in Phoenix. ECMO can offer both hemodynamic support and oxygenation for COVID patients who otherwise cannot get enough pulmonary support from ventilators, or are in danger of organ failure.
May 4, 2021 – A new study, presented today at the 2021 American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) 101st annual meeting, found that severely ill COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) patients treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) did not suffer worse long-term outcomes than other mechanically-ventilated patients. The multidisciplinary team included cardio thoracic surgeons, critical care doctors, medical staff at long-term care facilities, physical therapists and other specialists, and followed patients at five academic centers: University of Colorado; University of Virginia; University of
A new study, presented today at the AATS 101st Annual Meeting, found that severely ill COVID-19 patients treated with ECMO did not suffer worse long-term outcomes than other mechanically-ventilated patients.
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Boston, MA (April 30, 2021) - A new study, presented today at the AATS 101st Annual Meeting, found that severely ill COVID-19 patients treated with ECMO did not suffer worse long-term outcomes than other mechanically-ventilated patients. The multidisciplinary team included cardio thoracic surgeons, critical care doctors, medical staff at long-term care facilities, physical therapists and other specialists, and followed patients at five academic centers: University of Colorado; University of Virginia; University of Kentucky; Johns Hopkins University; and Vanderbilt University.
Survivors of critical illness are at high risk for long-term physical, psychological, and cognitive deficits. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) shows promising survival benefit for select patients with COVID-19. However, its impact on long-term recovery was unknown. The study measured physical, psychological, and cognitive deficits in in 46 patients who were canulated for ECMO compared to a