[Current therapeutic indications and possibilities in prolonged respiratory insufficiency (collective review) ]

The article provides a synthetic review of the most current problems of treatment of acute respiratory insufficiency refractory to standard and conventional therapeutic remedies using extracorporal membrane gas exchangers. On the basis of a review of the literature on the subject, the advantages and disadvantages of each main type of oxygenator are considered and critically evaluated with regard to metabolic, haemodynamic and circulatroy activity and the repercussions of each resuscitation technique on haemocoagulation.