[Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). I. Is it really needed in Spain?].

OBJECTIVE

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a cardiorespiratory support technique used to treat newborns with severe respiratory insufficiency. ECMO has not been used yet in newborns in Spain, with its necessity being question. The aim of this study was to evaluate the need for ECMO for respiratory or cardiac cases in our neonatal population, as well as to study the predictive capacity of several respiratory indices.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective observational study was carried out. Data from 2,133 newborns admitted during a 48 month period was reviewed. Babies were considered ECMO candidates if they died of respiratory failure or after surgery for a cardiac defect and if they had no ECMO exclusion criteria. The capacity of several respiratory indices to predict mortality was analyzed.

RESULTS

We considered 16 babies who died to be ECMO candidates, 6 with respiratory failure (1/3,028 live births) and 10 with cardiac defects 3 of them inborn (1/6,057). The total ECMO need was 1/2019 live births. None of the oxygenation indices studied accurately predicted the 80% mortality rate.

CONCLUSIONS

In Spain, it is necessary to start several neonatal ECMO programs since some 200 newborn infants with severe respiratory failure or cardiac defects could benefit from such a program annually.