Abstract: The progresses in extracorporeal life support technology have brought new options for the treatment of critical illnesses. The extracorporeal life support technology of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has significantly increased survival rate of the patients. However, ECMO may also have problems, such as organ damage caused by the inflammatory cytokine storm. The presence of extracorporeal life support with adsorption technology (ECLSA) may overcome these problems. ECLSA combines blood perfusion and extracorporeal life support technology to remove harmful substances such as inflammatory mediators, thus improving inflammation response and enhancing survival rate of the patients. ECLSA shows great potential in the treatment of critical illnesses. This article provides an overview of the progresses in the clinical application of ECLSA.

Key words: Extracorporeal life support, Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, Hemoperfusion, Extracorporeal life support with adsorption