MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: ECMO

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Medical Encyclopedia

ECMO

ECMO stands for Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation. ECMO is used in infants who are extremely ill due to breathing or heart problems. The ECMO machine circulates blood through an artificial lung back into the bloodstream. This provides adequate oxygen to the baby while allowing time for the lungs and heart to "rest" or heal.

Update Date: 12/4/2006

Updated by: Rachel A. Lewis, MD, FAAP, Columbia University Pediatric Faculty Practice, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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