How low can you go? Effectiveness and safety of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in low-birth-weight neonates.

Purpose: Controversy exists regarding the criteria for placement of infants on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) at low birth weights. The authors hypothesized that ECMO is effective and safe in babies under 2 kg and sought to examine outcome and survival rate in these infants.

Methods: All patients less than 30 days old in the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) registry (n = 14,305) were divided into those less than 2 kg (n = 663) and more than 2 kg (n = 13,642).

Factors influencing survival in newborns with congenital diaphragmatic hernia: the relative role of timing of surgery.

Purpose: Controversy persists regarding the factors influencing survival in patients with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), in particular, the role of timing of surgery. The authors therefore sought to determine such factors and to assess the relative role of timing of surgery on outcome.

Methods: All CDH newborns 1991 through 2002 (n = 111) were divided into those undergoing repair before ("early" n = 35), or after ("late" n = 76) 48 hours.