Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation experience in Colombia

  • Dr Victor Castillo, Fundacion Cardiovascular de Colombia, Colombia
  • Dra Claudia Florez, Fundacion Cardiovascular de Colombia, Colombia
  • Dr Guillermo Jaramillo, Fundacion Cardiovascular de Colombia, Colombia
  • Dr Leonardo Salazar, Fundacion Cardiovascular de Colombia, Colombia
  • Perf Addy Perroni, Fundacion Cardiovascular de Colombia, Colombia
  • Dr Alvaro Duran, Fundacion Cardiovascular de Colombia, Colombia
  • Dra Diana Cano, Fundacion Cardiovascular de Colombia, Colombia
  • Dra Margarita Suarez, Fundacion Cardiovascular de Colombia, Colombia

    • Objective: To describe the experience in veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) in Colombia.

    Methods: Descriptive study. A review of patients with cardiovascular pathology and VA-ECMO between March, 2007 and November, 2008.

    Results: Eleven patients were treated with VA-ECMO; 6 patients were male (54.5%); the median age was 9 months (3-24) and median weight was 8 kg (4-10). Diagnoses are shown in Table 1 and indications for VA-ECMO are shown in Table 2. The median time for VA-ECMO was 56 hours (40-81).
    The most important complications were bleeding in 100% of patients and renal failure in 6 patients (54.5%). The survival of patients treated with VA-ECMO was 45.4% and the survival after hospitalization was 27.2%.

    Conclusions:
    In Colombia, the Cardiovascular Foundation is pioneer in VA-ECMO as a therapeutic strategy to increase survival among children. A medical team and increased indications for this treatment are required to get better results.

    Table1. Indications for venous-arterial extracorporeal life support
    n(%)
    Univentricular physiology 2(18.1)
    Norwood Procedure 1(9)
    Post–cardiac arrest 1(9)
    Biventricular physiology (81.8)
    Cardiac arrest 5(50)
    untreatable arrhythmia 2(18.1)
    Pre–transplant 2(18.1)