Performance Assessment of Anti-Xa Assay-Based Heparin Dosing Protocol in Pediatric Patients on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

BACKGROUND: The use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in the postoperative cardiac critical care setting is evolving. Anticoagulation monitoring is among the most challenging aspects of pediatrics. However, there is no consensus on the optimal dosing and monitoring of unfractionated heparin in this setting. To address this, we developed an anti-Xa assay-based protocol derived from the best available clinical and anecdotal evidence of ECMO use and assessed its effectiveness in achieving the anti-Xa assay therapeutic target. METHODS: This prospective single-arm study was conducted in the pediatric carcardiac-surgery intensive care unit of a large tertiary hospital. We used two different anti-Xa assay intensity levels based on the patients' bleeding status. RESULTS: The median patient age was 7 (interquartile range [IQR]: 5-11.25) months, and the median weight was 5.7 (IQR: 3.8-13.82) kg. The median ECMO duration was 6 (IQR: 4.5-7.5) days. The bleeding protocol was used for most patients. Seventy percent achieved the anti-Xa assay therapeutic target during the study period (median: 75.5 h, IQR: 60.5-117.5 h). Hemorrhagic complications were reported in 40% of the patients, and thrombotic complications were reported in 25%. The median length of stay was 37 (IQR: 22-43) days, with a survival-to-discharge rate of 75%. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a failure to achieve the anti-Xa assay target within the first ECMO days, most patients achieved the target by the median ECMO duration. Moreover, using two different anti-Xa assay levels reduced thrombotic complications.

Isolated left subclavian artery with right aortic arch: case report and literature review of 50 cases.

Isolated left subclavian artery (ILSA) with right aortic arch is a rare vascular anomaly accounting for 0.8% in all right-sided aortic arch anomalies. We report a case of an isolated left subclavian artery with right aortic arch and a combination of subclavian as well as pulmonary steal in infant with Tetralogy of Fallot. We reviewed and summarized 50 similar cases reported in the literature over the last 30 years, in order to gain a thorough understanding of this rare anomaly.