Extracorporeal Support in Acute Respiratory Failure

Following the introduction of the membrane lung into clinical practice it was appealing to use this device as a substitute for alveolar capillary function in severe acute respiratory failure (ARF). Conventional treatment by positive pressure ventilation does not, in fact, substitute for respiratory function, but maximally exploits the residual gas-exchanging regions of the diseased lungs. Hill et al. (dy1972) reported the first successful clinical application of the membrane lung in the treatment of ARF but, from 1966 to 1975, only a 10% survival rate was obtained in 233 cases treated worldwide (Gille and Bagniewski 1976).