ABSTRACT
The baby should have a reversible lung disease and be supported by aggressive mechanical ventilation for no longer than 10-14 days prior to ECMO. Babies who have had prolonged exposure to high-concentration oxygen and positive-pressure ventilation develop bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).5 Recovery of this type of irreversible lung injury may take from weeks-months to occur, if at all. ECMO therapy can be a good treatment for reversible lung disease over a relatively short period of time (2-3 weeks). However, even a lengthy ECMO course would not be sufficient to permit recovery of the irreversible fibrotic changes that occur to the lung following sustained barotrauma and/or oxygen toxicity. In addition, with a longer ECMO run, the chance of infection, bleeding complications, thromboembolic events, and mechanical failure increase.
