Key result
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation achieves survival rates of approximately 58% in severe respiratory failure and 44% in cardiac failure when implemented in specialized centers.
Why the study?
ECMO is increasingly used for refractory cardiac and respiratory failure, but its high costs and complexity pose implementation challenges in emerging, low-resource healthcare systems.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
This narrative review outlines the clinical indications, technical configurations, complications, and outcomes of ECMO, demonstrating that it can be safely implemented in emerging healthcare systems through phased planning, centralized care, and international collaboration.
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) is an advanced life-support technique increasingly used in patients with refractory cardiac and/or respiratory failure. This narrative review provides a multidisciplinary overview of ECMO’s indications, modes, complications, outcomes, costs, and feasibility in low-resource settings, using Kosovo as a case study. Despite the high costs and complexity, ECMO can be safely and effectively implemented in emerging healthcare systems through phased planning, centralized care, and international collaboration.
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Vedat Eljezi (2026) conducted a review in Refractory cardiac and/or respiratory failure (including ARDS, cardiogenic shock, and cardiac arrest). Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO; VV-ECMO and VA-ECMO) vs. Conventional mechanical ventilation or standard critical care was evaluated on Survival in respiratory failure (VV-ECMO) and cardiac support (VA-ECMO) per ELSO registry data. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation achieves survival rates of approximately 58% in severe respiratory failure and 44% in cardiac failure when implemented in specialized centers.
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