Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation survivors and pulmonary function: Encouraging outcomes early in life

摘要

The long-term pulmonary outcome of infants treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for life-threatening respiratory failure has been of interest for many years. The few controlled studies suggest that in addition to providing a survival advantage, this heroic therapy decreases each individual infant's subsequent pulmonary morbidity presumably by minimizing oxidant stress and ventilator-induced lung injury (1).