Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Critically Ill Patients with COVID-19-related Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: Worth the Effort?

Falcoz et al discuss their study on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for critically ill patients with COVID-19-related acute respiratory distress syndrome. The study involved patients referred to the five ICUs of the Strasbourg University Hospital, between March 3 and April 1, 2020, for severe ARDS due to COVID-19 (confirmed by RT-PCR test), and that had been supported by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) after failure of optimal medical treatment, including neuromuscular blocking agents, protective ventilation, and high positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP). The results revealed that although venovenous-ECMO is burdened with a high rate of life-threatening complications, it might be considered as a rescue therapy in refractory COVID-19 ARDS.