On Sunday, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa was shifted back to the Intensive Care Unit of the Apollo Hospitals, exactly a fortnight after she was moved to a private room. She was put on an Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) heart assist device that aids cardiac and respiratory functions.
Here is a brief explainer:
# EC MO is used as a life support system in some patients who suffer a cardiac arrest — it is used as a rescue therapy when the patient is found to be unresponsive to conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) measures
# An ECMO machine works by draining the blood from a vein, adding oxygen and removing the carbon dioxide. It also warms the blood and then returns it to the artery and in some cases pumps the blood through the body. This allows the blood to bypass the heart and lungs.
# Specifically, ECMO is resorted to in situations where it can be rapidly implemented and where the attending medical personnel believe that the suspected cause of the cardiac arrest is potentially reversible
