Role of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Pediatric and Adult Cardiac Patients

Abstract

E CMO is currently being used in ICUs worldwide for neonatal, pediatric, and adult respiratory and cardiac failure. Evidence to support its use is strongest in the neonatal population, but treatment in the pediatric population is also generally accepted. Since the first experiences with ECMO, technology has hugely evolved, making extracorporeal respiratory support safer and more cost-effective. Indeed, extracorporeal respiratory support is now an attractive strategy for the treatment of any type of respiratory failure in addition to, or even as an alternative to, mechanical ventilation.