The spokesperson for Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem reports an improvement in the condition of the border policeman who was wounded by a lone terrorist on erev Shabbos in Ramallah. The soldier is breathing on his own, as he is not intubated or on a respirator.

The security guard critically wounded in the stabbing attack at the Jerusalem Central Bus Station a week ago remains in very serious condition and has been attached to an ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation ) unit to assist respirations. He was stabbed in his heart.

Please say Tehillim for אשר בן סעדה.

Extracorporeal means outside of the body. A membrane oxygenator is a piece of equipment which acts as a lung to deliver oxygen into the blood. The ECMO circuit acts as an artificial heart and lung for the patient during ECMO therapy.

ECMO is a life-saving technique that mimics the natural function of the heart and lungs, allowing the patient to rest while natural healing of the affected organs takes place. Candidates for ECMO include victims suffering respiratory and/or cardiac failure as a result of birth defects, trauma or severe infection.

The ECMO procedure involves channeling the patient’s blood into a roller pump that serves as the patients “heart” throughout treatment. The pump sends the blood through an oxygenator, which serves as an artificial lung, infusing the blood with oxygen and removing carbon dioxide and returning it to the patient.

During extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment, the patient’s heart continues to beat, but its work is made easier because the ECMO machine does much of the pumping. The length of time a patient remains on therapy depends on the diagnosis and the individual response.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)