Building Qatar severe respiratory failure ECMO program

Introduction: The aim of the program was to establish a severe respiratory failure (SRF) service with mobile extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) retrieval capability throughout Qatar. This was achieved through the collaboration of various Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) entities (critical care, cardiothoracic surgery, vascular surgery, and ambulance services). The service was commissioned by the Ministry of Public Health in October 2013 in response to the emerging MERS-Corona outbreak and its associated high mortality. After extensive team building and training, the service treated its first patient in June 2014. The key result has been an improvement in survival rate from 19 to 68%. The service is ranked among the best in the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) outcomes benchmark of worldwide SRF services. The provision of the highest quality care to patients with high predicted mortality has given a new hope in improving clinical outcomes and their reintegration into community. Backgr...