The EXCOR Pediatric VAD can provide a bridge to transplant for children with SV anatomy or physiology, albeit less successfully than in children with BV. In this small series, results are better in patients with SCPC and TCPC. VAD support for patients with shunted sources of pulmonary blood flow should be applied with caution.

The anti-Factor Xa assay correlated better with heparin dosing than activated clotting time or activated partial thromboplastin time. Activated clotting time has a poor correlation to heparin doses commonly associated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. In pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, anti-Factor Xa assay may be a more valuable monitor of heparin administration.

In our series, chest ultrasound and chest CT were similar in their ability to detect loculated effusion and lung necrosis or abscess resulting from complicated pneumonia. Chest CT did not provide any additional clinically useful information that was not also seen on chest ultrasound. We suggest that the imaging workup of complicated pediatric pneumonia include chest radiography and chest ultrasound, reserving chest CT for cases in which the chest ultrasound is technically limited or discrepant with the clinical findings.