The utility and promise of Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta (REBOA) in the pediatric population: An evidence-based review
jpedsurg.org shows its articles on its own site.
Read the article on jpedsurg.org ↗Article · Feb 2020 · 1 min read
In brief
In brief
Evidence-based review examining the application of Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta (REBOA) in pediatric trauma patients with non-compressible torso hemorrhage. While REBOA shows promise as a minimally invasive alternative to resuscitative thoracotomy in children, challenges include small vascular anatomy and limited outcomes data, necessitating prospective studies to establish safety and efficacy in this population.
Written by the GCMD Library team from the article.
Hemorrhage is the main cause of preventable death in both military and civilian trauma, and many of these patients die from non-compressible torso injuries. Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) is a minimally invasive method used for hemodynamic control of the hemorrhaging patient and has been compared to resuscitative thoracotomy (RT) with cross clamping of the aorta. REBOA has received a great deal of attention in recent years for its applicability and promise in adult trauma and non-trauma settings, but its utility in children is mostly unknown.
The purpose of this review article is to summarize and consolidate what is currently known about the use of REBOA in children. Some of the challenges in implementing REBOA in children include small vascular anatomy and lack of outcomes data. Although the evidence is limited, there are established instances in the literature of children and adolescents who have undergone endovascular occlusion of the aorta for hemorrhage control with positive outcomes and survival rates equivalent to their adult counterparts. There is a need for further formal evaluation of REBOA in pediatric patients with prospective studies to look at the safety, feasibility and efficacy of the technique.
Study Type
Narrative Literature Review
Level of Evidence
IV