extracorporeal life support
noun
: 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
—abbreviation ECLS
Robert H. Bartlett et al., The Journal of the American Medical Association Dictionary Entries Near extracorporeal life support
extracorporeal life support
Cite this Entry
“Extracorporeal life support.” Merriam-Webster.com Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/extracorporeal%20life%20support. Accessed 7 Feb. 2025.
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