Health Encyclopedia

Home | List of Topics | Children's Health | Neonatology

Extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation

Alternative Names

ECMO; Heart-lung bypass - infants; Bypass - infants

Information

ECMO stands for a complex therapy that involves a pump that circulates blood through an artificial lung back into the bloodstream of a very ill baby. Essentially, this system provides heart-lung bypass support outside of the baby’s body.

WHY IS ECMO USED?

ECMO is used in infants who are extremely ill due to breathing or heart problems. The purpose of ECMO is to provide adequate oxygen to the baby while allowing time for the lungs and heart to “rest” or heal. The most common conditions that may require ECMO today are congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS), severe pulmonary hypertension, cardiac malformations, pneumonia, and severe air leak problems. It may also be used during the recovery period after heart surgery.

HOW IS A BABY PLACED ON ECMO?

Starting ECMO requires a large team of care-givers to stabilize the baby, as well as the careful setup and “priming” of the ECMO pump with fluid and blood. Surgery is performed to attach the ECMO pump to the baby via catheters that are placed into large blood vessels in the neck of the baby.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF ECMO?

First, because babies who are considered for ECMO are by definition very ill, they are at high risk for long-term problems, including death. In addition to the already high-risk situation, once the baby is placed on ECMO, additional risks include infection, bleeding, blood clot formation, and transfusion problems. Rarely, the pump can have mechanical problems (tube breaks, pump stops) which can adversely affect the baby.

Review Date:12/4/2006
Reviewed By:Rachel A Lewis, MD, FAAP, Columbia University Pediatric Faculty Practice, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The Agency for Health Care Administration (Agency) and this website do not claim the information on, or referred to by, this site is error free. This site may include links to websites of other government agencies or private groups. Our Agency and this website do not control such sites and are not responsible for their content. Reference to or links to any other group, product, service, or information does not mean our Agency or this website approves of that group, product, service, or information.

Additionally, while health information provided through this website may be a valuable resource for the public, it is not designed to offer medical advice. Talk with your doctor about medical care questions you may have.