liz askew Nov 19, 2007:

I haven't got any suggestions for the English, but just found this, ECMO + mechanical ventilation can be used together, in some instances:
ECMO: Oxygenating blood outside the body

ECMO is used in addition to mechanical ventilation for patients with severe ARDS—such as those with immediate life-threatening respiratory failure who don't improve even with maximal ventilator support. As its name implies, ECMO oxygenates blood outside the body and thus partially relieves the lungs of the work of gas exchange, allowing them to rest and heal.11 Early clinical ECMO trials in ARDS showed disappointing results, but the current survival rate has improved to approximately 50% – 60%.12-15

Criteria for selecting candidates for ECMO therapy varies among institutions. At the University of Michigan Hospital, we only consider patients with reversible acute lung disease who are neurologically intact, have been on a mechanical ventilator for less than 10 days, and have no terminal illness, major immunosuppression, or contraindication to systemic anticoagulation. Informed consent must, of course, be obtained from the patient's family before treatment begins. Patient and family support are essential since the very nature of the ECMO procedure can be overwhelming. To that end, some ECMO center teams include a social worker or family liaison who answers questions and follows up with the family daily.