Predictors of clinical outcome for infants transferred for extracorporeal life support consideration.

The only large randomised controlled trial of extracorporeal life support (ECLS) was conducted in the UK in 1996 and recruited 185 infants with severe respiratory failure (oxygenation index >40); those transferred to an ECLS facility exhibited a markedly reduced risk of death or disability at one year compared with those who remained at their local centre.1 Factors that influence the decision to start ECLS include the potential reversibility of the disease process, anticipated clinical course and a perceived high risk of death.2 Although historically the oxygenation index has been used to guide referral, there are no standardised criteria for initiating transfer for ECLS consideration. We …