Surfactant phosphatidylcholine pool size in human neonates with congenital diaphragmatic hernia requiring ECMO.

Objective: We measured surfactant phosphatidylcholine (PC) pool size and half-life in human congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) patients who required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Study design Surfactant PC pool size and half-life were measured by endotracheal administration of deuterium-labeled dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine in 8 neonates with CDH on ECMO (CDH-ECMO), in 7 neonates with meconium aspiration syndrome on ECMO (MAS-ECMO), and in 6 ventilated infants (NON-ECMO).

Results: Lung PC pool size in the CDH-ECMO group was 73 +/- 17 mg/kg (mean +/- SEM), which was not significantly different from the MAS-ECMO (50 +/- 18 mg/kg) and the NON-ECMO group (69 +/- 38 mg/kg).