A 9-year-old child with severe ARDS is attached to a venovenous circuit that diverts 20% of his cardiac output through a membrane oxygenator. What term is assigned to this form of therapy?

• A. Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation
• B. Extracorporeal Carbon Dioxide Removal
• C. Artificial External Cardiac Support
• D. Cardiovascular Assistive Device

Answer: (B)

When blood is diverted outside the body to pass through a membrane oxygenator and then returned to the circulation, the therapy is Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation. In this scenario, the venovenous configuration specifically provides respiratory support by oxygenating blood and removing carbon dioxide as it bypasses the lungs, which is why it’s used for severe ARDS in a child. While there are related terms like ECCO2R, which focuses mainly on removing CO2 at lower flows, the full gas-exchange support described here is best described as ECMO. The other terms—Artificial External Cardiac Support and Cardiovascular Assistive Device—refer to different kinds of circulatory/hemodynamic support and do not capture the extracorporeal gas-exchange aspect.