Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Resource Planning in the Setting of Pandemic Respiratory Illness

Seethala and Keller discuss the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) resource planning in the setting of pandemic respiratory illness. Based on current practice patterns, the role of ECMO in supporting patients during a pandemic depends on the severity of the pandemic. In a mild pandemic, hospitals may see a surge of 20% over usual volume. In a severe pandemic, the role of ECMO becomes vanishingly small as the burden of disease vastly surpasses available resources. ECMO is a resource-intensive therapy requiring consideration before its deployment.