ABSTRACT
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a complex life support technique for severe pulmonary or cardiopulmonary failure, developed through modification of the heart lung bypass machine [1]. The technique of ECMO involves oxygenating blood outside the body and, thus, obviates the need for gas exchange in the lungs. The technique is categorised as either veno-venous (VV) or veno-arterial (VA), depending on the type of cannulation. In VV ECMO, deoxygenated blood is drained and oxygenated blood re-infused via venous sites. In neonates, this is achieved by placing a double lumen cannula in the right internal jugular vein (Figure 1). In VA ECMO, deoxygenated blood drawn from the right internal jugular vein is returned oxygenated via the right common carotid artery. While VV ECMO provides support purely with gas exchange, VA ECMO also supports the heart.
