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Center for Acute Respiratory Failure
About the Center
The Center for Acute Respiratory Failure is part of the Center for Comprehensive Lung Care at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center.
Drs. Daniel Brodie, left, and Matthew
Bacchetta are co-directors of the Center
for Acute Respiratory Failure.
At the center, we offer state-of-the-art care for adult patients who rapidly develop respiratory failure – typically from acute respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia, trauma, pulmonary embolism, or flare-ups of chronic lung diseases such as asthma, emphysema, or cystic fibrosis.
Our services include the most advanced forms of mechanical ventilation and other specialized therapies to rescue patients with severe respiratory failure.
ECMO
(click to enlarge) Nichele Calhoun had advanced
pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure.
While on ECMO and awaiting a lung transplant,
she walked out of the ICU to see the sun. Nichele
later received a transplant and is in good health.
The most advanced of these interventions is called extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). ECMO acts as a temporary "artificial lung" by pumping blood outside the body into a device that directly infuses oxygen and removes carbon dioxide before returning the blood to the patient.
ECMO is sometimes used during transport to our center for those patients who would otherwise be too sick to be safely transported. Learn more about our the program.
Pulmonary Embolectomy and Pulmonary Thromboendarterectomy
We also offer sophisticated surgical interventions known as pulmonary embolectomy and pulmonary thromboendarterectomy to appropriate patients with acute pulmonary embolism (blood clots that travel to their lungs). Learn more about our the program.
Patient Jay Shiland was saved from severe illness
by ECMO.
Transfers
Patients may be transferred to our center when we can offer them advanced therapy or expert consultation that is not available where they are, and when the benefit of being transferred outweighs the risk. Learn more about transfers to the center.
Research, Clinical Trials
The Center for Acute Respiratory Failure at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center is a leading center for research regarding extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Such research is crucial to our mission, but not every patient will qualify to be in a study of the most recent advances.
For patients who may be eligible for an ongoing research study, the patient's family needs to provide informed surrogate consent to participate in the study.
