Extracorporeal life support in major trauma: case series from a tertiary referral trauma

Major trauma (MT) is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Immediate fatal complications are bleeding shock followed in the post-emergency phase by severe head and spine injury and post-traumatic respiratory failure. Venoarterial (va) or venovenous (vv) extracorporeal life support (ECLS) could represent a valid option to face these life-threatening trauma complications. Moreover, ECLS can potentially be employed to expand the pool of donors in patients with brain death diagnosis after trauma event.