The number of physiotherapists coming into contact with patients who have been treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is growing. As the technique becomes more widely applied, physiotherapists may see these patients in an intensive care unit before admission to an ECMO centre, or in an ECMO centre, or after patients have been weaned from ECMO and sent back to their referring hospital for further rehabilitation. ECMO therapy began on a regular basis in the United Kingdom for treating neonates with severe but reversible cardiorespiratory disorders in Leicester in 1989. More recently successful results have been obtained with adults as well as children. This paper aims to review the ECMO process from a physiotherapy perspective, looking at the development of ECMO and the care of patients being supported by it, with special emphasis on physiotherapy.
