Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO)

Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO)
Name	Extracorporeal Life Support Organization
Abbreviation	ELSO
Type	Non-profit organization
Founded	1989
Headquarters	Ann Arbor, Michigan
Region served	International

Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) is a nonprofit medical consortium that promotes the development and application of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation practices across clinical, research, and educational domains. Founded in 1989, the organization interfaces with hospitals, professional societies, regulatory agencies, and industry partners to standardize care, collect outcomes, and disseminate best practices.

History

ELSO was established in 1989 following experiences with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation at institutions such as University of Michigan, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, and built on antecedents including the National Institutes of Health trials and clinical activity at Texas Children's Hospital and Boston Children's Hospital. Early collaborations involved practitioners from Harvard Medical School, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and University College London who sought standardized protocols after influential cases at Great Ormond Street Hospital and technological advances from companies like Maquet, Medtronic, and Getinge. Over ensuing decades, ELSO expanded through partnerships with professional bodies including the American Heart Association, Society of Critical Care Medicine, and European Society of Intensive Care Medicine, while responding to public health challenges such as the 2009 flu pandemic and the COVID-19 pandemic which drove international uptake of extracorporeal support modalities.

Organization and Governance

ELSO operates with a governance structure comprised of an international board and committees that include representatives from academic centers such as Stanford University, Mayo Clinic, and University of Toronto, and liaison relationships with regulatory authorities like the Food and Drug Administration and health agencies such as Public Health England. The board collaborates with specialty committees drawing membership from societies including the American College of Surgeons, Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society, and European Society for Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care, while coordinating with industry partners including Philips and Terumo for device standards. Administrative functions have ties to nonprofit management models used by organizations like American Red Cross and World Health Organization partner networks, and governance emphasizes transparent bylaws, conflict-of-interest policies, and membership tiers modeled after American Thoracic Society and Society of Thoracic Surgeons frameworks.

Clinical Guidelines and Standards

ELSO issues consensus guidelines and practice recommendations developed by panels drawing experts from institutions such as Massachusetts General Hospital, Cleveland Clinic, and Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, and aligned with guidance from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and European Medicines Agency during public health emergencies. These guidelines address indications, cannulation techniques, anticoagulation management, and equipment performance referencing technologies from Abbott Laboratories and Stryker, and integrate outcome measures consistent with reporting standards from International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and trial registries like ClinicalTrials.gov. Updates incorporate evidence from randomized trials and registries, and harmonize with protocols used in Neonatal Intensive Care Units at leading centers such as Great Ormond Street Hospital and GOSH-affiliated networks.

Registry and Data Collection

ELSO maintains a comprehensive registry that aggregates patient-level data from hundreds of centers worldwide, analogous to registries like the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program and collaborations with databases at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Imperial College London. The registry enables benchmarking with metrics used by American College of Cardiology registries and supports outcomes research with statistical methods taught at institutions like Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Data governance follows privacy models from Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act frameworks and interoperability principles promoted by HL7 and Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise.

Education, Training, and Certification

ELSO provides courses, simulations, and certification pathways modeled after programs at Mayo Clinic School of Continuous Professional Development and Royal College of Nursing, offering training that leverages simulation centers such as those at University of Washington and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Educational efforts include annual conferences with speakers from European Society of Cardiology, American Association for Thoracic Surgery, and International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, and online resources inspired by continuing education platforms like Coursera partnerships in clinical domains. Certification initiatives align with competency frameworks used by American Board of Surgery and credentialing standards observed by Joint Commission-accredited hospitals.

Research and Collaborations

ELSO fosters multicenter research collaborations involving academic partners such as Yale School of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, and University of Oxford, and industry-sponsored studies with companies including Baxter International and GE Healthcare. Research priorities span device innovation, perfusion science, and long-term outcomes, with trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov and results published in journals like The Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, and Critical Care Medicine. Collaborative projects have engaged funders and agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, Wellcome Trust, and European Commission research programs.

Impact and Global Reach

ELSO's membership encompasses centers across continents, including networks in United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, Japan, and Brazil, contributing to global capacity during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and regional responses coordinated with World Health Organization guidance. Its registry and guidelines have influenced practice at referral centers like UCSF Medical Center, Mount Sinai Health System, and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, and informed policy discussions with health ministries including those of Canada and Australia. ELSO's role in education, research, and standardization continues to shape extracorporeal life support delivery across pediatric, adult, and neonatal specialties.

Category:Medical organizations Category:Cardiothoracic surgery Category:Intensive care medicine