Outcomes of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Children: An 11-Year Single-Center Experience in Korea

Background Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has become an important treatment modality in pediatric patients with cardiopulmonary failure, but few studies have been conducted in Korea. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of pediatric patients younger than 18 years who were placed on ECMO between January 2004 and December 2014 at Samsung Medical Center. Results We identified 116 children on ECMO support. The overall rate of successful weaning was 51.7%, and the survival to discharge rate was 37.1%. There were 39, 61, and 16 patients on ECMO for respiratory, cardiac, and extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation, respectively. The weaning rate in each group was 48.7%, 55.7%, and 43.8%, respectively. The survival rate was 43.6%, 36.1%, and 25.0%, respectively. Sixteen patients on ECMO had functional single ventricle physiology; in this group, the weaning rate was 43.8% and the survival rate was 31.3%. Ten patients were on ECMO as a bridge to transplantation (8 for heart and 2 for lung). In patients with heart transplantation, the rate of survival to transplantation was 50.0%, and the overall rate of survival to discharge was 37.5%. Conclusion An increasing trend in pediatric ECMO utilization was observed. The outcomes were favorable considering the early experiences that were included in this study and the limited supply of specialized equipment for pediatric patients.