Tidsskrift for den Norske lægeforening : tidsskrift for praktisk medicin, ny række
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Tidsskr. Nor. Laegeforen. · Feb 1995
Case Reports[Persistent pulmonary hypertension in a newborn infant treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation].
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is a recent addition to our therapeutic arsenal in infants with life-threatening respiratory failure. We have treated a neonate with persistent pulmonary hypertension secondary to meconium aspiration with veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Both conventional, pressure-controlled ventilation and high-frequency jet ventilation having failed, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was life-saving for this infant. ⋯ In spite of this complication the child was found to be normal upon neurodevelopmental evaluation at one year of age. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is a high-technology therapy which should probably be centralized to only one to two units in Norway. It may be life-saving for selected patients who do not respond to other forms of therapy, but the risk of sequelae is not insignificant.