Novel tubing connectors reduce ECMO circuit thrombosis.

BACKGROUND: Thrombosis within extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) circuits is a common complication that dominates clinical management of patients receiving mechanical circulatory support. Prior studies have identified that over 80% of circuit thrombosis can be attributed to tubing-connector junctions. METHODS: A novel connector was designed that reduces local regions of flow stagnation at the tubing-connector junction to eliminate a primary source of ECMO circuit thrombi. To compare clotting between the novel connectors and the traditional connectors, both in vitro loops and an in vivo caprine model of long-term (48 h) ECMO were used to generate tubing-connector junction clots. RESULTS: In vitro, the traditional connectors uniformly (9/9) formed large thrombi, while novel connectors formed a small thrombus in only one of nine (p < 0.0001). In the long-term goat ECMO circuits, the traditional connectors exhibited more thrombi (p < 0.04), and these thrombi were more likely to protrude into the lumen of the tubing (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Both in vitro and in vivo validation experiments successfully recreated circuit thrombosis and demonstrate that the adoption of novel connectors can reduce the burden of circuit thrombosis.

Transition to Adult IBD Care: A Pilot Multi-Site, Telehealth Hybrid Intervention.

OBJECTIVE: Transition to adult IBD care continues to be a challenge. Efficacious models of improving transition to adult care in the United States are lacking. We present data from a pilot, prospective, non-randomized, intervention implemented at IBD centers in the Midwest and Southeast United States. DESIGN AND METHODS: Adolescents and young adults (AYAs; 16-20 years) with IBD and their parents completed a 4- to 5-month transition program (1 in-person group session; 4 individual telehealth sessions). Primary outcomes were feasibility (i.e., recruitment, retention, fidelity) and acceptability (i.e., program satisfaction). Secondary outcomes were changes in transition readiness, self-management skill acquisition, perceived readiness to transfer to adult care, and disease knowledge. RESULTS: The study exceeded goals for recruitment (target N = 20; actual: 36) and retention (target: 80%; actual: 86.11%). On average, it took participants 20.91 ± 3.15 weeks to complete our 4- to 5-month intervention and there were no deviations from the study protocol. Participant ratings for overall program satisfaction, perceived helpfulness, and program length and format were positive. Increases in transition readiness, t(30) = 8.30, d = 1.49, p < .001, self-management skill acquisition, t(30) = 3.93, d = 0.70, p < .001, and disease knowledge, t(30) = 8.20, d = 1.58, p < .001 were noted. AYA- and parent-perceived transfer readiness also improved (p's < .05; d's = 0.76-1.68). CONCLUSIONS: This article presents feasibility and acceptability data for a 4- to 5-month transition intervention. Improvements in AYA transition readiness, self-management skill acquisition, IBD knowledge, and AYA/parent perceived transfer readiness were also observed.

Healing the Hearts of Bereaved Parents: Impact of Legacy Artwork on Grief in Pediatric Oncology.

CONTEXT: Approximately 12% of children with cancer will not survive, representing a devastating loss for parents. Strategies to improve parental coping and grief have been understudied. Although legacy-making is frequently offered as standard care to children with terminal illness and their families, these interventions have received little empirical attention. OBJECTIVES: This study qualitatively explores the legacy-making and grief experiences of bereaved parents who participated in legacy artwork with their child before his or her death from cancer. METHODS: Twelve bereaved parents and 12 healthcare providers participated in individual semistructured interviews guided by the Dual Process Model of Grief and Continuing Bonds theory. Qualitative data were analyzed via conventional content analysis. RESULTS: Five themes emerged. Legacy artwork allows for family bonding and opens communication regarding the child's impending death; provides opportunities for parents to engage in life review and meaning-making; is often displayed in the parents' home after the child's death, and parents take comfort in using these projects to continue their bond with their deceased child; can ameliorate parents' grief after their child's death; and may reduce healthcare providers' compassion fatigue and provide them an outlet for coping with their patients' deaths. CONCLUSION: Participating in legacy artwork may result in self-reported positive outcomes for bereaved parents before and after their child's death, including family bonding, enhanced communication, meaning-making, and improvements in grief. As a result of these benefits, children's hospitals may consider offering legacy artwork for children with cancer and their families.

Barriers to Treatment Adherence Among College Students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

OBJECTIVE: The current study sought to obtain a longitudinal perspective of and quantitatively assess barriers to medication adherence experienced by college students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Thus, we examined semester-long trends in barriers to adherence in addition to the relationships between barriers and medication adherence and barriers and quality of life. METHODS: Participants were college students diagnosed with ADHD. Throughout a Fall semester, participants completed 4 sets of online questionnaires and attended 4 in-person visits, which included pill counts and written questionnaires. Participants completed measures assessing barriers to adherence and health-related quality of life, and adherence was measured via pill counts. Mean values of barriers, adherence rate, and quality of life were used for all analyses. RESULTS: Of the 45 students surveyed, mean adherence rate was 56.70%, and 84.45% of participants reported at least 1 barrier. Across the semester, participants reported experiencing an average of 3.07 barriers, and a consistent barrier reported was not realizing when pills run out. Although reported barriers were unrelated to adherence, the results showed that barriers were associated with lowered quality of life, specifically lower overall quality of life in addition to lower emotional functioning, psychosocial health, school functioning, and physical functioning. CONCLUSION: Barriers to adherence appear to be common in college students with ADHD, and certain barriers are consistent with the planning difficulties observed in individuals with ADHD. Because students experiencing more barriers had lower quality of life, interventions are needed to improve students' overall illness management experience.

Subjective Versus Objective Measures of Medication Adherence in Adolescents/Young Adults with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the frequency of medication nonadherence using both objective and subjective data and to compare the differences between these measures in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHOD: Fifty-four participants enrolled. Frequency (mean percent of prescribed doses not taken) of nonadherence was measured using subjective (visual analog scale) and objective (pill count and electronic monitoring) methods. Differences between measures were compared using t tests and analysis of variances. RESULTS: Objective measures showed that participants missed 40% to 43% of their prescribed doses. Contrastingly, subjective measures indicated that participants missed 25% of their prescribed doses. Frequency of nonadherence was significantly higher when relying on objective measures rather than on subjective measures (t[46] = -4.51, p < 0.01 for pill counts, and t[47] = -4.81, p < 0.01 for electronic monitoring). CONCLUSION: Nonadherence is high in AYAs with ADHD. These individuals tend to overestimate their adherence when self-reporting. Physicians should exercise caution when prescribing based on patient report of adherence and use objective measures when possible.

Parent Perceptions of Their College Students' Self-Management of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

PURPOSE: The present study examines parents' perspectives of the experiences and challenges surrounding self-management of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in their college students. METHODS: Participants were parents of emerging young adults with ADHD prescribed daily medication for their condition. Thirteen individual interviews were conducted using a semistructured interview script guided by the Health Belief Model. The qualitative data were analyzed via directed content analysis. RESULTS: Five themes emerged from the interviews: (1) parents are heavily involved in their child's self-management prior to college, and the abrupt transition of responsibilities is difficult for parents; (2) parents' worries about their child's self-management and functioning are exacerbated by privacy laws and poor communication from child and university; (3) volitional nonadherence is high; (4) obtaining academic accommodations is difficult; and (5) parents recommend a gradual transition, desire enhanced communication from the college, and wish for social support resources in the college setting for their children. CONCLUSIONS: Parents of college students with ADHD are distressed and frustrated by the transition to college. They express the desire to remain continually involved in their child's self-management of ADHD, but several barriers hinder their ability to do so, resulting in fear of the potential consequences on their child's functioning. This collateral information from parents regarding the challenges associated with ADHD self-management experiences in college should result in the development of comprehensive interventions to improve the quality of life in college students with ADHD.

Medication adherence in pediatric asthma: A systematic review of the literature.

OBJECTIVE: To provide a systematic review of correlates of adherence to inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in pediatric asthma across the individual, family, community, and healthcare system domains. METHODS: Articles assessing medication adherence in pediatric asthma published from 1997 to 2016 were identified using PsychINFO, Medline, and CINAHL. Search terms included asthma, compliance, self-management, adherence, child, and youth. Search results were limited to articles: 1) published in the US; 2) using a pediatric population (0-25 years old); and 3) presenting original data related to ICS adherence. Correlates of adherence were categorized according to the domains of the Pediatric Self-Management Model. Each article was evaluated for study quality. RESULTS: Seventy-nine articles were included in the review. Family-level correlates were most commonly reported (N = 51) and included socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, health behaviors, and asthma knowledge. Individual-level correlates were second-most common (N = 37), with age being the most frequently identified negative correlate of adherence. Health care system correlates (N = 24) included enhanced asthma care and patient-provider communication. Few studies (N = 10) examined community correlates of adherence. Overall study quality was moderate, with few quantitative articles (26.38%) and qualitative articles (21.4%) referencing a theoretical basis for their studies. CONCLUSIONS: All Pediatric Self-Management Model domains were correlated with youth adherence, which suggests medication adherence is influenced across multiple systems; however, most studies assessed adherence correlates within a single domain. Future research is needed that cuts across multiple domains to advance understanding of determinants of adherence.

Barriers to Transition From Pediatric to Adult Care: A Systematic Review.

Objective: Transition research in each disease group is developing in its own "silo." A comprehensive review of barriers to transition within and across chronic illness groups is needed to facilitate information sharing and larger-scale efforts to overcome barriers and improve patient care. This study systematically reviews and identifies the barriers to transition from pediatric to adult care across pediatric illness populations. Methods: Medline, CINAHL, PsychINFO, Social Services Abstracts, Web of Science, and the Cochrane library databases were searched. Peer-reviewed English articles presenting original data on barriers to transition to adult care, focused on a specific pediatric chronic illness population, and conducted in the United States were included. Study design, population, and barriers were extracted. Barriers were categorized according to the Socioecological Model of Adolescent/Young Adult Readiness to Transition. Articles were evaluated for study quality. Results: Fifty-seven articles were included. The most common barriers to transition fell within the "Relationships" domain (e.g., difficulties letting go of long-standing relationships with pediatric providers) followed by "Access/Insurance" (e.g., difficulty accessing/finding qualified practitioners, insurance issues), and "Beliefs/Expectations" (e.g., negative beliefs about adult care). Barriers related to "Knowledge" (e.g., limited patient/caregiver knowledge about medication/illness and the transition process) and "Skills/Efficacy" (e.g., lack of self-management skills) were also common. While relationship barriers were commonly reported by all, some barriers varied by transfer status (pre- vs. posttransfer). Conclusions: Each chronic illness group experiences illness-specific challenges but certain barriers transcend chronic illness populations. Suggestions to overcome these barriers are provided.

Transition to College and Adherence to Prescribed Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Medication.

OBJECTIVE: As youth with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) transition to adulthood, they must learn how to manage their ADHD treatment independently. This may be challenging because many of the skills necessary to adhere to treatment (e.g., organization, planning) are impaired in those with ADHD. Using electronic monitoring, we examine trajectories of adherence to medication in a cohort of college students with ADHD. Further, we examine the effect of transitioning to college and executive functioning on adherence. METHODS: Electronic monitors tracked adherence for 51 undergraduate students with ADHD across an academic semester. Multilevel modeling examined individual trajectories in monthly adherence and the role of transition status and self-reported executive functioning on these trajectories. RESULTS: Overall, participants adhered to 53.53% of prescribed doses. Transition status predicted the linear slope in adherence (ß = -8.95, standard error [SE] = 3.61, p < .05), with lower initial adherence among undergraduates transitioning to independence (34.17%) compared with post-transition undergraduates (67.63%; ß = 33.46, SE = 8.00, p < .001). Adherence demonstrated a curvilinear change (ß = -7.23, SE = 1.25, p < .001). It increased from the beginning of the semester to midterms before subsequently declining through the rest of the semester, including during final exams. Executive functioning did not predict adherence (ß = -.10, SE = .02, p = .54). CONCLUSION: Only half of all doses were taken as prescribed. Adolescents transitioning to independence demonstrated the lowest levels of adherence, suggesting that the transition to independence is a high-risk period for poor self-management of ADHD.

The Influence of Motivational Interviewing on Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a condition accompanied by several physical and often psychological symptoms (e.g., depression). Treatments generally involve dietary modifications and prescription medications. Of concern, non-adherence rates with prescription medications for this population have been reported to be between 30% and 45%. In order to examine an intervention that has shown promise in improving adherence, researchers systematically reviewed the literature in order to determine the impact of a motivational interviewing (MI) intervention on outcomes for individuals diagnosed with IBD. The outcomes assessed were broad and included, among others, the target behaviors of medication adherence and advice-seeking, and also patient-perceived provider empathy. Results suggest that MI can be effective in improving outcomes for individuals with IBD since patients experienced improved adherence rates, displayed greater advice-seeking behavior, and perceived providers as having more empathy and better communication skills. Further research is required since the pool of retained studies is small, evidencing a paucity of literature focusing on this evidence-based health behavior intervention for the behaviors needed to optimally manage IBD. Further, only adults were examined in these studies, so generalizations to children and adolescents are limited.

Adherence to Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Medication During the Transition to College.

PURPOSE: The present study explores the medication self-management experiences of adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) during their transition to young adulthood in college. METHODS: Participants were college freshmen with ADHD prescribed daily medication for their condition. Ten individual interviews were conducted using a semistructured interview script. Measures related to ADHD medication management were also completed. Qualitative data were analyzed via directed content analysis and quantitative data via descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Five themes emerged from interviews: (1) transitions to independence are often abrupt, and many adolescents lack critical self-management skills; (2) volitional nonadherence is high due to inaccurate disease beliefs, perceived academic demands, and medication side effects; (3) poor self-management negatively impacts school performance; (4) peer pressure to share medication affects social functioning and adherence; and (5) social support is greatly needed. Common barriers to adherence included "don't feel like taking medication" (90%) and "difficulties in sticking to a fixed medication schedule" (80%). CONCLUSIONS: Participants with ADHD were not prepared to manage their chronic illness independently in context of increased demands and newfound freedom, resulting in negative academic consequences. Social factors also play an influential role in ADHD self-management, particularly related to the isolation associated with sharing the medication and its side effects. Intervention programs targeting medication self-management during the transition to independence are greatly needed for young adults with ADHD as high academic performance in college is critical for future success.

Sources of Circuit Thrombosis in Pediatric Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for cardiopulmonary support of critically ill patients is used frequently in the pediatric population. ECMO is burdened by complications, including thrombosis and hemorrhage. Here we demonstrate the focused location of clots, their histologic composition, and the relationship of in situ thrombus to local hemodynamics in ECMO circuits. Pediatric ECMO circuits from Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University (Atlanta, GA) were obtained after removal from extracorporeal support over a 2.5 year period (n = 50). All clots and material deposited within the circuit were recorded. Location of clot was compared with local hemodynamics. Most clots were adherent to the junctions made by the tubing and connectors, as opposed to being randomly disturbed throughout the circuit tubing (p << 0.05). Loose, nonadherent clots were also found at the entry side of oxygenators. The clots colocated directly with zones of low shear rate. Histology revealed a fibrinous composition, consistent with coagulation potentiated by low shear. Centrifugal pump circuits (n = 16) had more clots than roller pump (n = 34) circuits (p << 0.05). In addition, all centrifugal pumps had clots that formed at the top of the pump shaft. The ECMO circuits from our single-center study demonstrate the concentrated location of fibrin clots at low shear zones created by tubing-connector junctions. Type of pump also influences the frequency of clot formation. Since the mechanism of the majority of ECMO circuit thrombosis is low shear and fibrin driven, optimization of hemodynamics and anticoagulation regimen may reduce clot formation and bleeding.

Thrombosis in centrifugal pumps: location and composition in clinical and in vitro circuits.

PURPOSE: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a form of cardiopulmonary mechanical life support for critically ill patients. ECMO is burdened by both thrombotic and hemorrhagic complications. Recently there has been a clinical shift from roller pumps to centrifugal pumps. In this study, we report on bulk thrombus formation within pumps recovered from clinical use. We then replicate this thrombus formation in vitro. METHODS: Clinical pediatric ECMO circuits driven with the Sorin Revolution were collected from 16 patients. The location and extent of thrombus formation in the pumps were recorded. Pump heads were also tested in a laboratory circulatory loop. The location, extent, and appearance of the thrombi were recorded. Thrombi were examined histologically using Carstairs' stain. RESULTS: Gross thrombus was observed in all pump heads at the stainless steel bearing at the inlet. In 19% of the pumps larger thrombi grew into the head over the cone and along the vanes. The thrombi were adherent and cohesive upon extraction. The thrombus formation was strikingly similar between the clinical pump heads and in vitro pump heads. Histology of both clinical and experimental samples exhibited a platelet-rich thrombus. CONCLUSIONS: Our studies have revealed platelet-rich thrombus in clinical and in vitro circuits. The location and composition of the thrombi suggest that the exposed metal shaft was initially covered by contact activated coagulation followed by large-scale growth by rapid platelet accumulation from high shear rates at the inlet. The in vitro system may be used to further identify the mechanisms for pump thrombus and test new designs.

Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation for pediatric cardiac patients.

BACKGROUND: Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) has been shown to improve survival after in-hospital pediatric cardiac arrest. We describe our experience with ECPR for refractory cardiac arrest in pediatric cardiac patients. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of the use of venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for in-hospital cardiac arrest from 2002 to 2011. The primary endpoint was survival to discharge, and the secondary endpoint was long-term functional neurologic status. RESULTS: Of 160 total uses of cardiac ECMO in 159 patients, 90 (56%) were ECPR (mean age 2.05 years; range, 0 days to 16.5 years). Sixty-four patients (71%) were postoperative, of which 36 were single ventricle and 28 were biventricular. Nine patients (10%) had cardiomyopathy-myocarditis, and 17 patients (19%) were nonpostoperative (5 single ventricle; 12 biventricular). Fifty-nine patients (66%) had open chest cannulation, and 31 (34%) had peripheral cannulation. Fifty patients (56%) survived to discharge. Duration of ECMO was 4.3±4.0 days (median 3) for survivors and 6.3±5.4 days (median 5) for nonsurvivors (p<0.05). On follow-up, almost half of survivors without genetic syndromes had normal neurologic status. CONCLUSIONS: Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation is an appropriate application of ECMO in pediatric cardiac patients. We report overall survival of 56%. Cardiomyopathy patients have favorable outcomes (89% survival). Biventricular patients have better outcomes then single ventricle patients (p<0.01). Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation also seems to be a good strategy for nonpostoperative patients (71% survival). Nearly half of postoperative patients (46%) resuscitated with ECPR survived to hospital discharge.

Morbidity and mortality in late preterm infants with severe hypoxic respiratory failure on extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate morbidity, mortality, and associated risk factors in late preterm term infants (34-0/7 to 36-6/7 weeks) requiring extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). STUDY DESIGN: We reviewed 21,218 neonatal ECMO runs in Extra-corporeal Life Support Organization registry data from 1986-2006. Infants were divided in 3 groups: late preterm (34-0/7 to 36-6/7 weeks), early-term (37-0/7 to 38-6/7 weeks), and full-term (39-0/7 to 42-6/7 weeks). RESULTS: There were 14,528 neonatal ECMO runs that met inclusion criteria. Late preterm infants experienced the highest mortality rate on ECMO (late preterm, 26.2%; early-term, 18%; full-term, 11.2%; P < .001) and had longer ECMO runs; they also had higher rates of serious complications. Gestational age was a highly significant predictor for mortality. Late preterm infants with a primary diagnosis of sepsis and persistent pulmonary hypertension had 3-fold higher risk of mortality on ECMO than infants with meconium aspiration. CONCLUSION: Late preterm infants treated with ECMO have higher morbidity and mortality rates than term infants. This underscores the need for special consideration of this vulnerable population in the diagnosis and treatment of hypoxic respiratory failure.

Fulminant valvulitis from acute rheumatic fever: successful use of extracorporeal support.

OBJECTIVE: To describe an unusual case of fulminant rheumatic fever presenting acutely as severe respiratory failure managed with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and ultimately valve replacement while on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: Large quaternary care pediatric intensive care unit. PATIENT: A 6-yr-old female with profound respiratory failure found to be due to mitral valve dysfunction stemming from acute fulminant rheumatic fever. INTERVENTIONS AND MAIN RESULTS: The patient was originally maintained on venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation but required conversion to venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation due to the progression of her mitral valve disease. Her condition did not improve with atrial septostomy, and she required valve replacement while anticoagulated. She was decannulated in the operating room and extubated 2 days later, and she survived to discharge. The institutional review board subsequently granted a waiver of consent for a report of this case. CONCLUSIONS: Manifestations of rheumatic fever can develop acutely even in the setting of an industrialized country. Valvulitis with severe, isolated mitral valve dysfunction may masquerade initially as respiratory failure. Multiple invasive procedures can be performed successfully while patients are fully anticoagulated and on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support.

Enhanced fluid management with continuous venovenous hemofiltration in pediatric respiratory failure patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Children receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for respiratory failure can have significant fluid overload and renal insufficiency. Addition of inline continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH) could provide additional benefits in fluid management compared to use of standard medical therapies with ECMO. METHODS: Patients with pediatric respiratory failure receiving ECMO with CVVH were case-matched to similar patients receiving ECMO without CVVH to compare fluid balance, medication use, and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Twenty-six of eighty-six patients with pediatric respiratory failure on ECMO (30%) received CVVH for >24 h (median 7.5 days on CVVH). Survival was not significantly different between patients receiving CVVH and those who did not receive CVVH (P = 0.51). For ECMO survivors receiving CVVH, overall fluid balance was less than that in non-CVVH survivors (median 25.1 ml kg(-1) day(-1); range -40.2 to 71.2 vs. 40.2, 1.1 to 134.9; P = 0.028). Time to desired caloric intake was faster in patients receiving CVVH (1 day, 1-5) than in patients who did not receive CVVH (5 days; 1-11; P < 0.001). Patients receiving CVVH-ECMO also received less furosemide (0.67 vs. 2.11 mg kg(-1) day(-1); P = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Use of CVVH in ECMO was associated with improved fluid balance and caloric intake and less diuretics than in case-matched ECMO controls.

Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) in pediatric cardiac support.

BACKGROUND: Resuscitation extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (R-ECMO) was introduced at our institution in July 2002. We reviewed the use of venoarterial (VA)-ECMO for cardiac diagnoses at our institution. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of patients on VA-ECMO for cardiac failure was performed. Survival was defined as discharge from hospital. RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients were supported with VA-ECMO (median age, 27 days; range, 1 to 640 days; median weight, 3.8 kg; range, 1.8 to 11.3 kg). Diagnoses were cardiomyopathy-myocarditis (CMM) in 8 (30%), systemic-to-pulmonary artery shunt-dependent single ventricle (SV) in 12 (44%), postcardiotomy for biventricular repair (BiV) in 6 (22%), and arrhythmia in 1 (4%). Sixteen of 27 patients survived (59%). Seven of 8 CMM patients survived (88%); 6 (75%) bridged to cardiac recovery, 1 to transplant (13%), and 1 death (13%). Seven of 12 SV patients survived (58%). The SV ECMO indications: post-Norwood ventricular dysfunction (n = 3, 2 deaths), postoperative cardiac failure (n = 6, 2 deaths), respiratory failure (n = 1, 1 death), and acute shunt occlusion (n = 2, 0 deaths). One of 6 BiV patients survived (17%). The BiV ECMO indications: failure to wean from CPB (n = 3, 3 deaths), postoperative cardiac failure (n = 2, 2 deaths), and pulmonary hypertension (n = 1, 0 deaths). Fifteen patients (56%) underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation during ECMO cannulation. Eleven of 15 R-ECMO patients (73%) survived versus 5 of 12 non-R-ECMO patients (42%, p = 0.13). Median duration of R-ECMO: 66 hours (range, 18 to 179) versus 145 hours (range, 43 to 986, p = 0.01) for non-R-ECMO. CONCLUSIONS: Resuscitation extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is an appropriate application in pediatric patients with cardiac disease. Single ventricle patients experiencing cardiopulmonary collapse and CMM patients have favorable outcomes. Failure to wean from CPB and postoperative ventricular failure are higher risk indications.

Validation of the CAS neonatal NIRS system by monitoring vv-ECMO patients: preliminary results.

The CAS neonatal NIRS system determines absolute regional brain tissue oxygen saturation (SnO2) and brain true venous oxygen saturation (SnvO2) non-invasively. Since NIRS-interrogated tissue contains both arterial and venous blood from arterioles, venules, and capillaries, SnO2 is a mixed oxygen saturation parameter, having values between arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) and cerebral venous oxygen saturation (SvO2). To determine a reference for SnO2, the relative contribution of SvO2 to SaO2 drawn from a brain venous site vs. systemic SaO2 is approximately 70:30 (SvO2:SaO2). If the relationship of the relative average contribution of SvO2 and SaO2 is known and does not change to a large degree, then NIRS true venous oxygen saturation, SnvO2, can be determined non-invasively using SnO2 along with SaO2 from a pulse oximeter.

Primary use of the venovenous approach for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in pediatric acute respiratory failure.

OBJECTIVES: To describe a single center's experience with the primary use of venovenous cannulation for supporting pediatric acute respiratory failure patients with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). DESIGN: Retrospective chart review of all patients receiving extracorporeal life support at a single institution. SETTING: Pediatric intensive care unit at a tertiary care children's hospital. PATIENTS: Eighty-two patients between the ages of 2 wks and 18 yrs with severe acute respiratory failure. INTERVENTIONS: ECMO for acute respiratory failure. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: From January 1991 until April 2002, 82 pediatric patients with acute respiratory failure were cannulated for ECMO support. Median duration of ventilation before ECMO was 5 days (range, 1-17 days). Sixty-eight of these patients (82%) initially were placed on venovenous ECMO. Fourteen patients were initiated and remained on venoarterial support, including six in whom venovenous cannulae could not be placed. One patient was converted from venovenous to venoarterial support due to inadequate oxygenation. Venoarterial patients had significantly greater alveolar-arterial oxygen gradients and lower PaO(2)/FIO(2) ratios than venovenous patients (p <.03). Fifty-five of 81 venovenous patients received additional drainage cannulae (46 of 55 with an internal jugular cephalad catheter). Thirty-five percent of venovenous patients and 36% of venoarterial patients required at least one vasopressor infusion at time of cannulation (p = nonsignificant); vasopressor dependence decreased over the course of ECMO in both groups. Median duration on venovenous ECMO for acute hypoxemic respiratory failure was 218 hrs (range, 24-921). Venovenous ECMO survivors remained cannulated for significantly shorter time than nonsurvivors did (median, 212 vs. 350 hrs; p =.04). Sixty-three of 82 ECMO (77%) patients survived to discharge-56 of 68 venovenous ECMO (81%) and nine of 14 venoarterial ECMO (64%). CONCLUSIONS: Venovenous ECMO can effectively provide adequate oxygenation for pediatric patients with severe acute respiratory failure receiving ECMO support. Additional cannulae placed at the initiation of venovenous ECMO could be beneficial in achieving flow rates necessary for adequate oxygenation and lung rest.