(September 18, 2009 - Insidermedicine)

A technique known as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO, appears to be both a cost effective and life-saving treatment option among adults suffering from severe acute respiratory failure, according to a trial published online ahead of print in The Lancet.

Here is some information about severe acute respiratory failure:

•       It can occur as a result of complications from infections that affect the respiratory tract, including the flu and pneumonia

•       It is frequently life-threatening

•       Conventional treatment involves intermittently blowing oxygen-rich air into the lungs at high pressure, but this can damage sensitive lung tissue

Researchers from Glenfield Hospital in Leicester randomly assigned nearly 200 adults with severe acute respiratory failure to conventional treatment or consideration for ECMO. ECMO uses heart-lung bypass technology to essentially do the job of the lungs outside the body by machine, allowing damaged lungs to heal.

Overall, 75% of the patients who were referred to consideration for ECMO actually received it. A greater proportion of patients referred for consideration to ECMO was alive and without disability after 6 months, compared with those assigned to conventional care. The researchers calculated that approximately 6 people would need to be treated with ECMO for one additional person to survive. Based on their estimations, ECMO was also a cost-effective option.

Today's research highlights the ability of ECMO to improve outcomes in individuals with severe acute respiratory failure, a finding which could become increasingly important as H1N1 flu season approaches.