Extracorporeal life support : applications and considerations

Extracorporeal Life Support is a further development of the heart-lung machine, to support function of the heart, lungs or both. The application of this support is considered for patients who are quite moribund and fail conventional therapies. The thesis focuses on when to consider applying this complex, lifesaving technology and when it might not be suitable. Further, Sharma aimed to identify newer indications for organ support and also addresses inherent questions arising from the application of the support system, e.g. the potential application of extracorporeal life support to resuscitate patients from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the Maastricht region or to facilitate recovery of the lungs in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Sharma also gives suggestions to make the application of extracorporeal life support much safer.