Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 22, 2026
Non-invasive Optical Measurement of Cerebral Metabolism and Hemodynamics in Infants
Published on: March 14, 2013
Multimodal neuromonitoring modalities of neonatal patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
Allison Young1, Luna Vorster2, James Riviello3
1Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.
Objectives:
To describe the neonatal population requiring ECMO; characterize their neurologic injury; summarize multimodal neuromonitoring (MNM) utilized for neonatal ECMO patients; and discern impacts of MNM on patient management.
Study Design:
This retrospective chart review includes neonates admitted from 2019 to 2023 requiring ECMO. Data include patient characteristics; details of neurologic injury; radiographic, electroencephalogram (EEG), and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) findings; and effects of MNM on patient management.
Results:
Among 53 patients, MNM included head ultrasound (53/53, 100%), continuous EEG (35/53,66%), and NIRS (24/53,45%). The frequency of EEG and NIRS monitoring increased after implementing a MNM protocol. Adverse neurologic events were detected in 18 patients (34%). Responses to MNM findings included change in anticoagulation (12/18,67%), recommending additional neuroimaging (11/18,61%), and anti-seizure medication administration (7/18,39%).
Conclusion:
MNM during ECMO facilitates timely detection of evolving neurologic injury and informs patient management. Utilizing a MNM protocol increased the number of neonates receiving continuous neuromonitoring.
