Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for nonneonatal respiratory failure

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been used for 20 years in neonates and children with cardiac and respiratory failure. The number of neonates treated with ECMO has increased exponentially, but the number of older children treated is small. The selection and exclusion criteria for pediatric ECMO are poorly defined, and the results vary because of variable selection criteria and institutional experience with the technique. In order to help define the role of pediatric ECMO, we reviewed our experience in noneonatal pediatric respiratory failure. We have treated 22 patients ranging in age from 1 to 105 months and ranging in weight from 3 to 35 kg. Eighteen patients met the criteria for adult respiratory distress syndrome, two had respiratory syncytial virus pneumonia, and one had severe barotrauma complicating the management of reactive airway disease. All patients were considered by the referring institutions and by us to be failing conventional management as evidenced by hypoxia, hypercarbia, excessive ventilatory pressures, or progressive barotrauma. All were considered likely to die with continued conventional management. Sixteen of the 22 patients had complications (73%), but half of the last 10 patients had no complications. Hemorrhagic complications occurred in 12 patients. Mechanical complications included membrane failure, raceway rupture, pump malfunction, and improper cannula positioning. Other complications included culture-proven infection and renal failure. Eleven of the 22 patients survived (50%); nine of the last 12 survived (75%). These results suggest that ECMO may be a useful technique in selected pediatric patients with respiratory failure. Survival and complication rates improve as experience with the technique increases.