Is it Time for the DNE: Do Not ECMO

by Craig Klugman, Ph.D. In the last few years, the hospital where I serve on the ethics committee has seen a dramatic uptick in the number of patients placed on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). ECMO is an amazing technology because it can maintain a body even after “severe neurologic impairment or multiorgan failure”. With its ability to replace heart and lung function, a body can be maintained long after the heart, lungs, and even brain have failed. In ECMO, the machine replaces the lungs (and sometimes the heart).…
Source: blog.bioethics.net - Category: Medical Ethics Authors: Tags: End of Life Care Featured Posts Organ Transplant & Donation DNE ECMO Source Type: blogs