Suche
Mein Konto
Fight for Survival: How an ECMO Team Saved a Little Life!
The Erlangen University Hospital mobilized a team to treat a child with severe respiratory failure due to influenza on ECMO.
Fight for Survival: How an ECMO Team Saved a Little Life!
On May 8, 2025, three-year-old Hannah's story gained national attention after she became ill with severe respiratory failure due to influenza in February 2025. Hannah was initially treated at the Chemnitz Clinic for a small abscess, but her situation rapidly deteriorated when her lungs no longer showed gas exchange capacity on x-rays. Unfortunately, the treatment option of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was not available at the Chemnitz Clinic, which is considered a lifesaver in such cases. It turned out that Hannah urgently needed ECMO to oxygenate the deoxygenated blood.
An interdisciplinary team from Erlangen University Hospital was mobilized to help Hannah. The team traveled 250 kilometers to Chemnitz to secure the vital solution to her breathing problem. Prof. Dr. Heiko Reutter, head of pediatric intensive care medicine, pointed out the high number of influenza cases in the current flu season.
Treatment with ECMO
Veno-venous ECMO is a support measure for severe lung failure. Experienced perfusionist Nicola Kwapil chose a child-friendly transport set and set the ECMO parameters specifically for Hannah. However, this treatment is demanding because the anatomical structures in children are smaller. In addition to ECMO treatment, blood clotting monitoring is also necessary, for which blood-thinning medications are used.
After ECMO treatment, Hannah required intensive oxygen therapy and had to relearn how to breathe. Prof. Reutter expressed optimistic assessments of their ability to regenerate. Laura C., Hannah's mother, plans to professionally process the experiences of the last few weeks together with her family in order to learn more about the challenges and medical care.
Clinical perspectives and challenges
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation represents a complex but potentially life-saving intervention in severe acute respiratory failure. A comprehensive review of clinical trials of ECMO in influenza A (H1N1) pneumonia shows that the technology is expensive and resource intensive. However, the need for ECMO will continue to increase in the coming years, particularly in children suffering from severe respiratory failure, as highlighted by Hannah's experience.
In the clinical workup of ECMO patients, it was found that overall mortality under these conditions is approximately 37.1%, while the length of stay in the intensive care unit is on average 33 days. These high numbers highlight the risks associated with the treatment and the need to evaluate ECMO as a complementary or salvage therapy. Prof. Dr. Oliver Dewald, a leading expert in this field, announced that the ECMO team will in future offer intensive care transport for all children with severe respiratory failure.
Hannah's experiences make it clear how important quick and adequate medical intervention is to ensure the survival of small patients in critical situations.