Organization of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for acute respiratory distress syndrome in the United Kingdom

This article reviews the evolution of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in the United Kingdom to treat patients with refractory acute respiratory distress. The UK centralized commissioning of public health care has delivered a coherent high-quality national adult ECMO service and defined the key factors in the designation as adult ECMO centre. This strategy seems adequate to provide for the needs of the population and avoid the danger of occasional practice by teams who do not undertake ECMO regularly.