Prognostic value of cerebral tissue oxygen saturation during neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

OBJECTIVES: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support is indicated in severe and refractory respiratory or circulatory failures. Neurological complications are typically represented by acute ischemic or hemorrhagic lesions, which induce higher morbidity and mortality. The primary goal of this study was to assess the prognostic value of cerebral tissue oxygen saturation (StcO(2)) on mortality in neonates and young infants treated with ECMO. A secondary objective was to evaluate the association between StcO(2) and the occurrence of cerebral lesions. STUDY DESIGN: This was a prospective study in infants < 3 months of age admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit and requiring ECMO support. MEASUREMENTS: The assessment of cerebral perfusion was made by continuous StcO(2) monitoring using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) sensors placed on the two temporo-parietal regions. Neurological lesions were identified by MRI or transfontanellar echography. RESULTS: Thirty-four infants <3 months of age were included in the study over a period of 18 months. The ECMO duration was 10±7 days. The survival rate was 50% (17/34 patients), and the proportion of brain injuries was 20% (7/34 patients). The mean StcO(2) during ECMO in the non-survivors was reduced in both hemispheres (p = 0.0008 right, p = 0.03 left) compared to the survivors. StcO(2) was also reduced in deceased or brain-injured patients compared to the survivors without brain injury (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: StcO(2) appears to be a strong prognostic factor of survival and of the presence of cerebral lesions in young infants during ECMO.