(WBBM NEWSRADIO) – Northwestern Medicine is launching a lung failure training program for community hospitals that doctors say could be a game-changer for people experiencing respiratory and heart problems.
Dr. Kalvin Lung -- yes that's his name -- says when medications and breathing machines aren't enough, a life support system called ECMO is needed.
ECMO stands for Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation. The apparatus oxygenates blood outside the body when the body isn't able to anymore.
"We use it as a tool to drain the blood out of the body and oxygenate it back into the patient, so that oxygenated blood can then go to all the various organs that need it and continue to function,” Lung said.
He says because ECMO is expensive and requires a specifically trained staff, not all hospitals have access to it. This is why Northwestern launched its training program.
He says he hopes this program will expand knowledge of ECMO and increase the use of the technology in hospitals.
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