Bivalirudin or Heparin for Systemic Anticoagulation During Pediatric Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: Multicenter Retrospective Study

This study demonstrated that effective anticoagulation can be achieved with bivalirudin, which was associated with lesser odds of bleeding events and utilization of blood products. Bivalirudin, in comparison with UFH, was associated with greater odds of hospital survival and intact neurological function at the time of discharge. A prospective randomized trial is required to validate the results of this study.