Short and Long Term Studies in Neonates treated with Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a technique for providing life support in severe but potentially reversible cardiorespiratory failure. The technique oxygenates blood outside the body, obviating the need for gas exchange in the lungs and, if necessary, provides cardiovascular support. This enables the lungs to rest with use of minimal ventilator settings, thereby preventing injury from high oxygen concentration and barotrauma. ECMO is most commonly used to support (nearly) mature newborn infants with respiratory failure and pulmonary hypertension caused by meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS), congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), sepsis and idiopathic persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (idiopathic-PPHN). This thesis addresses clinical studies evaluating several aspects of the acute phase of ECMO treatment and long-term follow-up of newborns treated with ECMO for respiratory failure. Chapter 1 is a general introduction to the developmental history of ECMO. It presents the studied aspects of the acute phase (chapters 2 to 6) and long-term follow-up (chapters 7 to 9) together with the study aims.

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