Dayanand Medical College & Hospital

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) is an extracorporeal technique which provides prolonged cardiac and respiratory support to patients whose heart and lungs are unable to provide an adequate amount of gas exchange to sustain life. The technology for ECMO is largely derived from cardiopulmonary bypass, which provides shorter-term support with arrested native circulation. This therapy helps in survival of almunium phosphide intoxicated patients, the fatal toxin known as ‘celphos’. ECMO has saved lives of patients with swine flu and other respiratory failures. ECMO facility is available in only selected centres of the world, infact Hero DMC Heart Institute is the only institute of North of Delhi which has regular ECMO programme.