title: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in pregnancy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Safety and efficacy of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in pregnancy is unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 33-year-old pregnant woman at 23 weeks of gestation presented with acute respiratory distress syndrome unresponsive to conventional mechanical ventilation. Early initiation of ECMO therapy along with protective mechanical ventilation strategy resulted in an excellent maternal and fetal outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation can be life saving when initiated early in pregnant patients with severe acute respiratory insufficiency unresponsive to conventional mechanical ventilation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: Patricia C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Devine
authors.forename: Sanja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jelic
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain; D000328:Adult; D015199:Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation; D005260:Female; D005322:Premature Rupture of Fetal Membranes; D005865:Gestational Age; D017359:HELLP Syndrome; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000628:therapy*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011859:Radiography; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*