Nucleated red blood cells as a biomarker for mortality in infants and neonates requiring veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for cardiac disease

Introduction: Nucleated red blood cells (NRBC) are rare in the peripheral circulation of healthy individuals and their presence have been associated with mortality in adults and very low birth weight newborns, however, its value as a biomarker for mortality in infants requiring veno-arterial (VA) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has yet to be studied. We sought to determine if NRBC can serve as a biomarker for ECMO mortality and inpatient mortality in infants requiring V-A ECMO. Methods: A single-center retrospective chart review analyzing infants