Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is used in severe acute respiratory distress syndrome; whereas the long-term complications among survivors of acute respiratory distress syndrome treated without extracorporeal membrane oxygenation are well described, the status of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation survivors is poorly understood.

Survivors of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) have long-term impairment of pulmonary function and health-related quality of life, but little is known of outcomes of ARDS survivors treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The aim of this study was to compare long-term outcomes of ARDS patients treated with or without extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.