Doctors at Brooklyn hospitals are using the method called extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in an experimental bid to help those on ventilators. ECMO is a method in which the blood of the coronavirus patient is removed from the patient's body, rejuvenating it with oxygen, and returning it to the patient.
Doctors have noticed a bizarre trend on critically ill coronavirus patients. Some of them do not display any difficulty in breathing and does not show any signs of oxygen deprivation but have very low oxygen levels in their blood that they could easily be identified as dead in a lab report, according to Stat News.
Ventilators may not be of help to the patients as putting them on mechanical ventilation for extended periods may damage their already fragile lungs. In New York City, 80% of ventilated patients are dying.
Breathing Machines, how does it help?
Coronavirus hijacks their machinery to replicate itself using its spike protein to attach to lung cells. The virus enters the body through the nose or mouth then travels down the airway toward the lungs.
It then damages the network of passages of the branches of the respiratory tree. Then it moves to the tiny sacs inside the lungs which is responsible for gas exchange.
The immune system is then triggered and releases white blood cells to the site of the infection to eradicate the viral invader. However, the immune system is not familiar with the virus that causes the COVID-19, therefore it does not have the antibodies designed to combat the virus.
The alveoli or the air exchange sacs are eventually filled-up with the virus as the inflammation keeps pouring in. This then keeps the alveoli from functioning well.
The patient at this period has already developed pneumonia, and if not cured, it could lead to lung failure. Mechanical ventilation is attached to them to help them breathe, but it is not always enough to save a patient's life. Additionally, the invasive supportive care can also damage the lungs by forcing highly pressurized air inside the lungs and over-saturating them with oxygen.
Read: 80% of Coronavirus Patients on Ventilators Die in New York City: Why is That?
ECMO: When ventilators fail
Ventilators are still the best hope for critically ill coronavirus patients although supplies are not sufficient.
So, doctors are looking for alternatives and supplements to save their patients.
Presently, there are more than 23,000 positive coronavirus cases in Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn. Good Morning America has reported that Dr. Paul Sanders and his colleagues in the hospital are using ECMO to put oxygen straight into the patients' blood.
Similar to the heart and lung bypass machines used during an open-heart surgery, ECMO mechanically pumps the blood and air for the patient while they are undergoing the procedure.
The method in using ECMO involves the removal of the blood from the patient and uses an artificial lung to infuse oxygen into starved red blood cells. The rejuvenated blood is pumped back into the body of the patient to help prevent cell death in tissues deprived of oxygen.
Dr. Sanders added that ECMO has become the last resort when ventilators are not enough during this pandemic. Doctors hope that the method can be a secondary aid for patients on life support to limit the damage that ventilators can cause to the lungs of the patients and supplement the short supply of ventilators.
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