Neonatal presentation of cystic fibrosis requiring ECMO.

This is a case of cystic fibrosis causing respiratory distress in a newborn who was treated successfully with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). To date, this is the only such case reported to the Neonatal ECMO Registry at the University of Michigan. ECMO can be a life-saving intervention in these neonates. Advances in the total care of these patients make them acceptable candidates for neonatal ECMO, but the patholophysiology of cystic fibrosis raises many questions about their suitability for ECMO at older ages, as the associated pulmonary disease becomes less reversible.