[Results of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation following cardiac surgery in 16 children in the St Radboud University Medical Centre, 1996-2004].

Objective. Description of the results with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in infants with cardiorespiratory failure after open-heart surgery. Design. Prospective observational study. Method. Data on the indications, survival, and complications were collected from all infants treated with ECMO for cardiorespiratory failure after open-heart surgery in the period I996-2004 in the St Radboud University Medical Centre in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Results. I7 ECMO treatments were carried out in 16 paediatric patients: 7 girls and 9 boys. All patients had severe circulatory failure, sometimes combined with respiratory insufficiency. The patients' average age was 8 months (range: I day-3 years and I0 months). The average duration of treatment was I37 hours (range: 8-433). In I2 of the I7 ECMO treatments, the patient was successfully weaned from ECMO and 7 patients were discharged home. 5 patients died in hospital after successful ECMO treatment. I0 of the 16 patients died. A functional univentricolar heart was associated with a high mortality. Haemorrhage, renal insufficiency and sepsis were the most frequent complications. Major causes of death were sepsis, multi-organ failure and pulmonary hypertension.