Center for Acute Respiratory Failure
The Medical ECMO Program
 Daniel Brodie, MD Director, Medical ECMO Program |
 Matthew Bacchetta, MD Director, Adult ECMO Program |
After falling gravely ill on a skiing vacation, patient Jay Shiland's life was saved by ECMO.
The Center for Acute Respiratory Failure is part of the Center for Comprehensive Lung Care at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center.
This center treats adult patients who rapidly develop respiratory failure — typically from acute respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia, trauma, pulmonary embolism, or flare-ups of chronic lung diseases such as asthma, emphysema, or cystic fibrosis — who require advanced therapeutic interventions. The most advanced of these interventions is Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO).
Patients are accepted for transfer in situations where our center is able to offer services (either an advanced therapy or expert consultation) that are not available where they are currently receiving care, and when the risk of transfer is felt to be outweighed by the potential benefit. Ambulance or flight transfers to our center are arranged unless the patient is too unstable for a traditional transport, in which case we consider transport with ECMO in selected patients.
