Review
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World J Crit Care Med. Nov 4, 2013; 2(4): 29-39
Published online Nov 4, 2013. doi: 10.5492/wjccm.v2.i4.29
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for pediatric respiratory failure: History, development and current status
Anna Maslach-Hubbard, Susan L Bratton
Anna Maslach-Hubbard, Susan L Bratton, Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84158, United States
Author contributions: Maslach-Hubbard A and Bratton SL contributed equally to the work and both participated in research, drafting and editing the review.
Correspondence to: Dr. Anna Maslach-Hubbard, MD, Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, 295 Chipeta Way, PO Box 581289, Salt Lake City, UT 84158, United States. anna.hubbard@hsc.utah.edu
Telephone: +1-801-5877560 Fax: +1-801-5818686
Received: August 8, 2013
Revised: September 21, 2013
Accepted: October 17, 2013
Published online: November 4, 2013
Processing time: 84 Days and 0.6 Hours
Core Tip

Core tip: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a very important mode of support for patients of all ages with acute severe respiratory failure, non-responsive to conventional treatments. Goal of this review is to describe evolution of ECMO support for respiratory failure, changes and advances in technology, epidemiology, outcomes and care of pediatric respiratory failure patients. Also, we would like to describe changes in modes of support and although veno-arterial (VA) mode of support remains the predominant type used, veno-venous (VV) support is increasingly used especially in older children and adults. We described advantages and limitations of VV ECMO comparing to VA support.