title: Role of extracorporeal circulation in adult respiratory distress syndrome management.
abstract: Long-term extracorporeal support for acute lung failure was introduced in 1972. In the 1970s, much effort was concentrated on technical improvements. However, a multicenter study comparing continuous positive-pressure ventilation and continuous positive-pressure ventilation plus extracorporeal circulation failed to show improvement in survival rates. In the 1980s, new physiopathologic concepts were developed, such as extracorporeal CO2 removal coupled with lung rest. The main complication of the technique was bleeding due to systemic heparinization. However, the technology used in that period was the same as in the 1970s. Recently, technological improvement--such as percutaneous cannulation and surface-heparinized artificial lungs--has allowed clinical performances to improve substantially. "Lung rest" philosophy, coupled with safe technology, may provide a rational basis to test this technique in a randomized fashion for widespread use.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Anestesiologia e Rianimazione, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gattinoni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pesenti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bombino
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pelosi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brazzi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D015199:Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D006493:Heparin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008170:Lung Compliance; D008176:Lung Volume Measurements; D008875:Middle Aged; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D011175:Positive-Pressure Respiration / Q000379:methods; D011659:Pulmonary Gas Exchange; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D012146:Rest; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D006493:Heparin