Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment. One-year outcomes for North Carolina infants.

Initial survival rates for the first 45 North Carolina ECMO neonates in the study group are somewhat better than national figures. Developmental functioning as assessed at one year of age is comparable to that reported in other studies. A congenital diaphragmatic hernia diagnosis was significantly related to poorer outcome. Measures of family functioning approximate those reported for families of non-ECMO neonates treated in intensive care. Support provided by ECMO staff was rated at a notably high level. With nearly three thousand survivors and multiple numbers of ECMO centers now operating in this country, ECMO has made the transition from an experimental treatment to an established procedure for treatment of neonates in pulmonary failure. A few beginning attempts to utilize ECMO with older patients are being made. Neonatologists are now directing efforts toward refining techniques and selection criteria. Further evaluation of longer-term effects of this type of treatment is essential. Effective protocols for follow-up care need to be designed, particularly for those at greatest risk for developmental disability.