Video transcript
The Extracorporeal Life Support Organization, ELSO, is the global nonprofit organization for ExtraCorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) and Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS). We are working with our partners across the globe on the response to COVID-19 as it relates to the use of ECMO for supporting patients infected with the virus.
We are relying on the same sources as others for accurate information related to the rapidly evolving COVID-19 virus epidemiology. Specifically, we will continue to rely on the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control, as well as, local health officials and governments as the situation evolves. We remain a real-time authoritative resource because of ELSO’s global member centers which provide up-to-date information and data to allow our physicians and scientists to continually edit our recommendations.
COVID-19 can cause respiratory distress in some patients. ECMO has proven to be an effective option to support selective patients with severe respiratory distress, some of which are COVID-19 patients. We are tracking this information globally, including as part of our registry.
In addition, we are launching new studies and data sharing agreements with our partners across the globe. As an example, our Asia Pacific ELSO Chapter is coordinating efforts across the Asia Pacific region and globally to study ECMO in the treatment of patients with COVID-19. The group’s trial, ExtraCorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Coronavirus 19 Acute Respiratory Distress (ECMOCARD) will study the clinical data of COVID-19 patients where ECMO treatment was provided in more than 50 hospitals across 4 continents and 19 countries. This study has been endorsed by the World Health Organization and the international ECMO research group, ECMONet.
As new studies and results emerge, we will share relevant information on our website. We will be updating this information with the urgency that this situation requires. We will have a link from our homepage: http://www.elso.org, social media sites on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and our ELSO ECMOed blog on COVID 19.
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ELSO ECMOed blog
We are committed to coordinating with our ECLS centers across the globe and sharing updated information as this situation warrants.
Thank you, and stay healthy.
Dr. Mark Ogino, ELSO President
