Table 1. Recommendation on the appropriateness of ECMO usage in different situations: 1. The indication of ECMO for respiratory distress was dependent on patient age. It is appropriate to use ECMO for neonates who developed respiratory distress, but for children and adults, ECMO is indicated only if other treatment modalities failed to improve patient’s condition. 2. ECMO is indicated for ECPR if ECMO is available. 3. For postcardiotomy shock, it is appropriate to install ECMO to support the patient. In this group of patients, the cardiac pathology could have been fixed during cardiac surgery, and ECMO would be helpful to support the patient during the recovery phase. 4. Due to different pathophysiological responses to sepsis, it is appropriate to support neonates and children with septic shock. But usage for adult patients with septic shock should limited to those with cardiac suppression.

	Respiratory distress	ECPR	Postcardiotomy shock	Sepsis
Neonate	Appropriate	Appropriate	Appropriate	Appropriate
Child	Last effort	Appropriate	Appropriate	Appropriate
Adult	Last effort	Appropriate	Appropriate	Acute heart failure due to sepsis

ECPR, extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation.