Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for cardiac rescue in children with severe myocardial dysfunction

Objective: To assess the experience and efficacy of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for cardiac rescue in patients with presumptively lethal cardiac dysfunction at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Design: Retrospective analysis of patient records from a 9-yr period. Setting: A 22- bed tertiary care pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) with an average of 1,400 admissions per year. An average of 150 open cardiotomy surgeries are performed per year, and all postoperative and severely ill cardiac patients are cared for in the ICU. Patients: A total of 29 pediatric ICU patients with myocardial failure received ECMO throughout the 9-yr study period. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: Demographic information, underlying cardiac defect, intraoperative and postoperative data, postoperative course, details of ECMO treatment, and outcome were collected. Comparison of survivors with nonsurvivors was performed using the Mann- Whitney U test for continuous variables. Twenty-three (79%) of 29 patients recovered myocardial function while undergoing ECMO, 18 (62%) of 29 patients were successfully decannulated, and 13 (45%) of 29 patients survived to hospital discharge. Long-term survival rate was 11 (38%) of 29 patients. Three (60%) of five bridge-to-heart transplant patients survived. Eleven (65%) of 17 patients who suffered cardiac arrest before ECMO, survived to discharge and nine (53%) of these 17 patients remain long-term survivors. Survival rate in patients who required cardiac massage for >15 mins before cannulation was six (55%) of 11 patients. Conclusions: Patients with severe myocardial dysfunction who fail conventional therapy can be successfully supported with ECMO during the period of myocardial recovery. ECMO can also provide a viable circulatory support system in patients with prolonged cardiac arrest who fail conventional resuscitation techniques. ECMO is also an effective means of support as a mechanical bridge to heart transplantation.