Safety of Interhospital ECMO Transport by Low-Volume ECMO Transport Centers

Kalpana Singh; Jorge Ojito; Jun Sasaki

doi:10.1055/s-0040-1714706

Safety of Interhospital ECMO Transport by Low-Volume ECMO Transport Centers

J Pediatr Intensive Care. 2021 Jun;10(2):126-132. doi: 10.1055/s-0040-1714706. Epub 2020 Jul 30.

Authors

Kalpana Singh¹, Jorge Ojito², Jun Sasaki²

Affiliations

¹ Division of Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Nicklaus Children's Hospital, Miami, Florida, United States.
² Division of Cardiology, Nicklaus Children's Hospital, Miami, Florida, United States.

Abstract

We present our 20 years of experience as a low-volume extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) transport center from the Southeast United States. This is a retrospective chart review of all ECMO transported patients between 1998 and 2017. Of 26 patients who were ECMO transported, median age was 15.5 days, 14 patients (54%) were neonates, 18 (69%) patients had primary cardiac pathologies, and 16 (61.5%) patients had primary ECMO transport. Median distance traveled was 81 miles. All patients were on venoarterial ECMO. Complications occurred in three patients (11.5%). Survival to discharge was 69%. Neonatal and pediatric ECMO transport by a low-volume ECMO transport center is safe.

Keywords: extracorporeal membrane oxygenation; neonatal; pediatrics; transport.