ECMO therapy for COVID-19 Devi K. Nalini1,*, Rosy Juliana Shanthi2 1M.Sc (N), Professor, Muzaffarnagar Nursing Institute, Muzaffarnagar, U.P. 2Principal, Droan College of Nursing, Rudrapur, Uttarakhand *Corresponding Author Email: mahathiraja2008@gmail.com
Online published on 8 June, 2021. Abstract The ECMO machine is similar to the heart-lung by-pass machine used in open-heart surgery. It pumps and oxygenates a patient's blood outside the body, allowing the heart and lungs to rest. When the patient is connected to an ECMO, blood flows through tubing to an artificial lung in the machine where saturation of oxygen and removal of carbon dioxide takes place, then the blood is warmed to body temperature and pumped back into the body. This technology provides prolonged cardiac and respiratory support when all other forms of heart and lung support have failed to provide an adequate amount of gas exchange or perfusion to sustain life. Now, the treatment is being used to support in patients with Covid-19 pneumonia for whom ventilation is insufficient to sustain blood oxygen levels. Top Keywords ECMO, COVID-19, Pneumonia. Top |