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extracorporeal life support

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Medical Definition of extracorporeal life support

: life support used when a patient is experiencing cardiac or pulmonary failure unresponsive to conventional therapies (such as mechanical ventilation) that typically involves the continuous extracorporeal oxygenation of blood pumped from the body especially : extracorporeal membrane oxygenation Extracorporeal life support (ECLS, also known as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) is the use of a modified heart-lung machine for days or weeks to support life and permit treatment and recovery during severe cardiac or pulmonary failure. — Robert H. Bartlett et al., The Journal of the American Medical Association, 16 Feb. 2000 —abbreviation ECLS

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“Extracorporeal life support.” Merriam-Webster.com Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/extracorporeal%20life%20support. Accessed 24 Jul. 2021.

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