Answer Bank: What's ECMO? How about other equipment used to treat COVID-19?

ECMO, a word that we have frequently heard in the treatment for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), refers to a machine which can temporarily replace the functions of the heart and lungs.

The full name for ECMO is extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. It is known as the "ultimate lifesaver" for patients with severe cardiac and respiratory failure.

The machine operates by pumping venous blood from the body, artificially oxygenating it and then pumping it back into the arteries.

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