The aim of this paper is to provide physicians, ECMO center directors and coordinators, hospital directors, health care organizations, regional, national and international policy makers a description of the optimal approach to organizing ECMO programs for ARF in adult patients. Importantly, this will help ensure that ECMO is delivered safely and proficiently, such that future observational and randomized clinical trials assessing this technique may be performed by experienced centers under homogeneous and optimal conditions.

LIFEGARDS Study
ventiLatIon management oF patients with Extracorporeal membrane oxyGenation for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

LIFEGARDS is a multicenter, observational study assessing the mechanical ventilation management of patients with ARDS undergoing ECMO, in a worldwide population over a one-year period.

HELP ECMO
HEparin Low-dose Protocol in ECMO Patients

HELP ECMO is a single center, randomized, controlled feasibility study assessing the use of low-dose heparin, as compared with full-dose heparin, in critically ill patients undergoing ECMO.

EOLIA
ECMO to rescue Lung Injury in severe ARDS

EOLIA is a multicenter, international, randomized, controlled trial run by the REVA network and endorsed by the International ECMO Network. The study hypothesizes that ECMO, instituted early after the diagnosis of very severe ARDS (P:F < 80), would lower the morbidity and mortality associated with this syndrome.