SONOGRAPHICALLY GUIDED CANNULA POSITIONING FOR EXTRACORPOREAL MEMBRANE-OXYGENATION

Drainage problems due to catheter malpositioning are acutely life-thre atening in patients undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, In order to reduce these complications we introduced sonographically gui ded catheter positioning. We compare the outcome in a group of patient s with blind cannula positioning to that in a group with sonographical ly guided catheter positioning. Our results show that neonates and you ng infants especially are at high risk of drainage problems due to cat heter malposition and that their outcome could be markedly improved by introducing sonographically guided cannula insertion.