The Evolution of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Adult Respiratory Failure

The use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation to support patients with cardiac and respiratory failure has increased substantially in the last decade. Although the evidence base for its use in adults with respiratory failure is growing, many questions remain to be answered. Ongoing research is aimed at clarifying the role of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, as well as extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal, in various forms of hypoxemic and hypercapnic respiratory failure, and at defining the optimal techniques for its use. This, of course, is a moving target, as advances in the technology of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and the potential development of a true artificial lung, continue at a brisk pace.