Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Program (ECMO)
Children's was the first children's hospital to offer the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation program, termed ECMO, and the 7th among all hospitals. Since the start of Children’s program in 1984, more than 1,000 infants and children have received treatment.
Newborns, older children, and adults with either respiratory failure or cardiac failure are treated with this support. In the newborn population, the survival rate is as high at 95 percent for infants with meconium aspiration syndrome. ECMO is a modified form of heart and lung bypass that can be used on a temporary basis for patients who are failing all other conventional methods of life support.
A specialized team of physicians and specialists provide minute-to-minute bedside support of the complex technology used during ECMO care. Large catheters are placed into patient’s blood vessels which drain blood from the body into the ECMO circuit. The ECMO circuit provides oxygen supply (just like the patient’s lung) and blood pressure support (just like the heart). Providing a rest for the heart and lungs gives the body the time to repair itself until the ECMO support is no longer needed.
Children's ECMO program is one of the largest in the nation, running a national/international training program in addition to an annual international scientific conference on ECMO. The program received the title of “ECMO Center of Excellence” from the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization in August 2007. Members of Children's ECMO team conduct active research into therapies for respiratory distress.
Newborn ECMO patients are followed in the Neonatal Neurodevelopmental Follow-up Clinic. - Departments & Programs - Children's National Medical Center
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