Book chapter
A Careful Balance of the Benefits and Burdens of Pediatric ECMO
Difficult Decisions in Surgical Ethics, pp.415-431
Difficult Decisions in Surgery: An Evidence-Based Approach, Springer International Publishing
01/11/2022
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-84625-1_30
Abstract
Over the past several decades, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been utilized for an increasingly diverse range of pediatric pathologies. While this expansion has allowed pediatric patients to survive physiologic insults previously deemed lethal, it has also generated complex clinical scenarios and rich ethical discussions. As providers work to better understand the circumstances in which ECMO benefits pediatric patients, they must consider the limitations of this invasive, physiologically demanding technology and the potential moral distress and emotional burden it’s use may create for patients, families, and healthcare providers. In this chapter, we first highlight benefits experienced by pediatric patients when ECMO is used as a bridge to recovery, corrective surgery, transplant, or decision making. We then discuss the ethical challenges inherent to the expansion of ECMO: withholding or withdrawing care, informed consent in emergent settings, exposure of children to significant morbidity, and equitable distribution of this relatively scarce and resource intensive technology. We suggest that a balance must be found between the benefits and burdens of pediatric ECMO.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- A Careful Balance of the Benefits and Burdens of Pediatric ECMO
- Creators
- Samara Lewis - University of OklahomaMaria Urdaneta Perez - University of OklahomaCatherine Hunter - University of OklahomaErica M. Carlisle - University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
- Resource Type
- Book chapter
- Publication Details
- Difficult Decisions in Surgical Ethics, pp.415-431
- Publisher
- Springer International Publishing; Cham
- Series
- Difficult Decisions in Surgery: An Evidence-Based Approach
- DOI
- 10.1007/978-3-030-84625-1_30
- eISSN
- 2198-7769
- ISSN
- 2198-7750
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 01/11/2022
- Academic Unit
- Stead Family Department of Pediatrics; Surgery
- Record Identifier
- 9984322902702771
Metrics
13 Record Views