Treatment For Severe Respiratory Failure From Conditions Like Swine Flu Is Better When ECMO Is Part Of Treatment Than With Conventional Ventilation

Patients with severe acute respiratory failure (ARF) should be referred for treatment using extracorporeal membrane `oxygenation (ECMO), rather than using conventional ventilator management, to improve their chances of survival without disability. ECMO would be cost-effective in the UK and other countries with similar health care costs.