Mechanical ventilation is the most commonly used form of respiratory support to restore or maintain adequate gas exchange. However, mechanical ventilation does not provide a physiological form of breathing. Neither does it provide an optimal ventilation / perfusion ratio due to passive movement of the diagphragm favoring the non-dependent parts of the lung. Furthermore, patients are in danger of ventilator-associated/induced lung injury (VALI/VILI). Hence, lung protective ventilation is mandatory in patients with an acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and should likewise be used in the operating room. Extracorporeal pulmonary support is required in case mechanical ventilation is unable to secure sufficient gas exchange or VILI is imminent. Venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (vvECMO) acts as lung replacement therapy and may improve survival along with treatment in an ARDS-center.
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