Extracorporeal life support

This book covers up-to-date knowledge of extracorporeal life support/ membrane oxygenation (ECLS/ECMO), which is performed as one special procedure that takes over the work of the lungs when they are too sick to properly support the body. ECLS has been recognized as one primary rescue strategy when the conventional treatments cannot reverse the process of cardiac dysfunction or respiratory dysfunction. During the recent years, ECLS has also been utilized as the bridge during peioperative organ transplantation, emergency cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and chronic assistant devices such as left ventricular assist device.

This book summarizes the major characteristics of technique, current status of implication and topics of development. Physiology and mechanism of ECLS is defined in the initial part of the book. Type and primary characteristics of ECLS, including instrument materials and monitoring methods are further introduced. Methods of cannulation, characteristics of patients and key-point of management during pediatric ECLS are included. ECLS has been recognized as one kind of novel CPR procedures, transport of ECLS, treatment of various complications with preventive strategy are demonstrated. Recent hot topics of ECLS and training perspective are also discussed.