Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Pandemic Influenza A(H1N1)–induced Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Abstract

Under ECMO, an ultraprotective ventilation strategy minimizing plateau pressure may be required to improve outcome. When patients with severe influenza A(H1N1)-related ARDS treated with ECMO were compared with conventionally treated patients, no difference in mortality rates existed. The unmatched, severely hypoxemic, and younger ECMO-treated patients had, however, a lower mortality.