Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 17, 2026
Veno-Venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in a Mouse
Published on: October 24, 2018
Infectious complications in paediatric patients treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
Maria José Santiago-Lozano1, Marta Lucía Barquín-Conde2, Lucía Fuentes-Moreno2
1Servicio de Cuidados Intensivos Pediátricos, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, España; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, Hospital Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, España; Red de Salud Maternoinfantil y del Desarrollo (Red SAMID) RD16/0022/0007.
Insights
Infections are common in pediatric patients undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). However, specific infection markers are lacking, and clinical infections are often unconfirmed, with no significant link to mortality or PICU stay.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric critical care medicine
- Infectious diseases
- Cardiopulmonary support
Background:
- Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a life-support measure for critically ill children.
- Infections pose a significant risk to pediatric patients on ECMO.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the incidence, treatment, and outcomes of infections in children receiving ECMO.
- To identify potential markers and correlations of infection in this population.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of a prospective database of pediatric ECMO patients (under 18 years) from September 2006 to November 2015.
- Collection of clinical characteristics, ECMO details, microbiological cultures, and infection treatment data.
Main Results:
- 100 pediatric patients analyzed; 94 with heart disease.
- Infection suspected in 51%, microbiologically confirmed in only 22%. Sepsis (49%), pneumonia (35.3%), and UTI (9.8%) were most common.
- No significant differences in inflammatory markers; infection trended higher in non-survivors (60.4%) vs. survivors (40.3%).
Conclusions:
- Infections are frequent in pediatric ECMO patients.
- Lack of specific infection parameters and low microbiological confirmation rates.
- No statistically significant association found between infection and mortality or PICU length of stay.
Introduction:
The aim of this study was to analyse the incidence, treatment and evolution of infections in children treated with ECMO.
Methods:
A retrospective study based on a prospective database was performed. Children under the age of 18 years treated with ECMO from September 2006 to November 2015 were included. The patients' clinical characteristics were collected, together with ECMO technique, cultures and treatment of infection.
Results:
One hundred patients with a median age of 11 months were analysed. Heart disease was diagnosed in 94 patients. An infection was suspected and antibiotic treatment was initiated in 51 patients, although only 22 of them were microbiologically confirmed. The most common infection was sepsis (49%), followed by pneumonia (35.3%) and urinary tract infection (9.8%). There were no differences in haematological parameters and acute phase reactants between children with infection and those without. Children who died had a higher incidence of infection during ECMO (60.4%) than the survivors (40.3%), but the difference did not reach statistical significance (P=.07). The duration of admission in the PICU was 57 days in patients with infection vs 37 days in patients without infection but the difference was not statistically significant (P=.067).
Conclusions:
Infection in children with ECMO is common. There are no specific infection parameters and less than half of the clinical infections are confirmed microbiologically. There was no statistically significant correlation between infection and mortality or duration of PICU stay.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Pneumonia III: Complications and Assessment
01:25Peritoneal Dialysis II: Peritoneal Dialysis Systems and Complications
01:16Oxygen Delivering System II: Venturi Mask and Transtracheal Oxygen
Venturi Mask
The Venturi mask, named after the Venturi effect, is designed to deliver precise oxygen concentrations. It consists of a large tube with an oxygen inlet that narrows down, causing a pressure drop that pulls air in through adjustable side ports. The mask is a lightweight,...
01:25Transmission-based Precautions II: Airborne and Protective Environment
Airborne precautions:
Use airborne precautions when treating patients known or suspected to have diseases that spread through the air—for example, tuberculosis or measles. These organisms are present in smaller droplets expelled by an infected person and...
01:19Respiratory Assessment: Purpose and Indications
Objectives and Importance:
The primary goal of respiratory assessment is to evaluate patients at early risk of clinical deterioration. Since respiratory distress often precedes other signs of declining health, breathing patterns and sounds become a...
01:21Acute Respiratory Failure-II
The underlying physiological abnormalities that contribute to hypoxemic respiratory failure include: