Qatar ECMO program: Past, present, and future

The clarion call for setting up a Qatar adult extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) program came during the MERS-CoV outbreak in the Arabian Peninsula region. 1 This carried a high mortality rate in those presenting with severe respiratory failure, and recent data from the “CESAR Trial” showed that treatment in a severe respiratory failure center with ECMO capabilities improved severe respiratory failure (SRF) patient survival. 2 Owing to the regional novelty of the program, potential partners of external well-established ECMO programs were sought. The model of care hinged on medical versus surgical ECMO delivery. The balance tipped in favor of a medical model in view of the prevailing nature of the pandemic outbreak at the time. There is plenty of evidence demonstrating that the intensivist-led ECMO cannulation model is safe. 3 The commissioning body also favored the notion of a severe respiratory failure outreach and retrieval service, delivered round-the-clock with the provision of on-site cannula...