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Background: Veno‐venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V‐V ECMO) is a lifesaving support modality for severe respiratory failure, but its resource‐intensive nature led to significant controversy surrounding its use during the COVID‐19 pandemic. We report the performance of several ECMO mortality prediction and severity of illness scores at discriminating survival in a large COVID‐19 V‐V ECMO cohort. Methods: We validated ECMOnet, PRESET (PREdiction of Survival on ECMO Therapy‐Score), Roch, SOFA (Sequential Organ Failure Assessment), APACHE II (acute physiology and chronic health evaluation), 4C (Coronavirus Clinical Characterisation Consortium), and CURB‐65 (Confusion, Urea nitrogen, Respiratory Rate, Blood Pressure, age >65 years) scores on the ISARIC (International Severe Acute Respiratory and emerging Infection Consortium) database. We report discrimination via Area Under the Receiver Operative Curve (AUROC) and Area under the Precision Recall Curve (AURPC) and calibration via Brier score. Results: We included 1147 patients and scores were calculated on patients with sufficient variables. ECMO mortality scores had AUROC (0.58–0.62), AUPRC (0.62–0.74), and Brier score (0.286–0.303). Roch score had the highest accuracy (AUROC 0.62), precision (AUPRC 0.74) yet worst calibration (Brier score of 0.3) despite being calculated on the fewest patients (144). Severity of illness scores had AUROC (0.52–0.57), AURPC (0.59–0.64), and Brier Score (0.265–0.471). APACHE II had the highest accuracy (AUROC 0.58), precision (AUPRC 0.64), and best calibration (Brier score 0.26). Conclusion: Within a large international multicenter COVID‐19 cohort, the evaluated ECMO mortality prediction and severity of illness scores demonstrated inconsistent discrimination and calibration highlighting the need for better clinically applicable decision support tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The criteria for the selection of COVID‐19 patients that could benefit most from ECMO organ support are yet to be defined. In this study, we evaluated the predictive performance of ECMO mortality predictive models in patients with COVID‐19. We also performed a cost–benefit analysis depending on the mortality predicted probability. We conducted a retrospective cohort study in COVID‐19 patients who received ECMO at two tertiary care hospitals between March 2020 to July 2021. Materials and Methods: We evaluated the discrimination (C‐statistic), calibration (Cox calibration), and accuracy of the prediction of death due to severe ARDS in V‐V ECMO score (PRESERVE), the Respiratory Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Survival Score (RESP) score, and the PREdiction of Survival on ECMO Therapy‐Score (PRESET) score. In addition, we compared the RESP score with Plateau pressure instead of Peak pressure. Results: We included a total of 36 patients, 29 (80%) of them male and with a median (IQR) APACHE of 10 (8–15). The PRESET score had the highest discrimination (AUROCs 0.81 [95%CI 0.67–0.94]) and calibration (calibration‐in‐the‐large 0.5 [95%CI −1.4 to 0.3]; calibration slope 2.2 [95%CI 0.7/3.7]). The RESP score with Plateau pressure had higher discrimination than the conventional RESP score. The cost per QALY in the USA, adjusted to life expectancy, was higher than USD 100 000 in patients older than 45 years with a PRESET > 10. Conclusion: The PRESET score had the highest predictive performance and could help in the selection of patients that benefit most from this resource‐demanding and highly invasive organ support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A paucity of evidence exists regarding the risks and benefits of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) in adult kidney transplantation. Methods: This was a systematic review conducted from Jan 1, 2000 to April 24, 2020 of adult kidney transplant recipients (pre‐ or post‐ transplant) and donors who underwent veno‐arterial or veno‐venous ECMO cannulation. Death and graft function were the primary outcomes, with complications as secondary outcomes. Results: Twenty‐three articles were identified that fit inclusion criteria. 461 donors were placed on ECMO, with an overall recipient 12‐month mortality rate of 1.3% and a complication rate of 61.5%, the majority of which was delayed graft function. Fourteen recipients were placed on ECMO intraoperatively or postoperatively, with infection as the most common indication for ECMO. The 90‐day mortality rate for recipients on ECMO was 42.9%, with multisystem organ failure and infection as the ubiquitous causes of death. 35.7% of patients experienced rejection within 6 months of decannulation, yet all were successfully treated. Conclusions: ECMO use in adult kidney transplantation is a useful adjunct. Recipient morbidity and mortality from donors placed on ECMO mirrors that of recipients from standard criteria donors. The morbidity and mortality of recipients placed on ECMO are also similar to other patient populations requiring ECMO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Multiple organ failure is a common complication in patients undergoing ECLS significantly affecting patient outcomes. Gaining knowledge about the mechanisms of onset, clinical course, risk factors, and potential therapeutic targets is highly desirable. Methods: Data of 354 patients undergoing ECLS with one‐, two, three‐, and four organ failures were retrospectively analyzed. Incidence of multiple organ dysfunction (MODS), its impact on survival, risk factors for its occurrence, and the impact of proinflammatory mediators on the occurrence of MODS in patients undergoing ECLS were investigated. Results: The median follow‐up was 66 (IQR 6; 820) days. 245 (69.2%) patients could be weaned from ECLS, 30‐day survival and 1‐year survival were 194 (54.1%) and 157 (44.4%), respectively. The duration of mechanical support was 4 (IQR 2; 7) days in the median. Increasing severity of MODS resulted in significant prolongation of mechanical circulatory support and worsening of the outcome. Liver dysfunction had the strongest impact on patient mortality (OR = 2.5) and survival time (19 vs 367 days). The serum concentration of analyzed interleukins rose significantly with each, additional organ affected by dysfunction (p < 0.001). All analyzed proinflammatory cytokines showed significant predictivity relative to the occurrence of MODS with interleukin 8 serum level prior to ECLS showing the strongest predictive potential for the occurrence of MODS (AUC 0.78). Conclusion: MODS represents a frequent complication in patients undergoing ECLS with a significant impact on survival. Proinflammatory cytokines show prognostic capacity regarding the occurrence and severity of multi‐organ dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of 7‐, 30‐, 60‐, and 365‐day overall and cause‐specific mortality following extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support. Methods: The National Health Insurance claims database in South Korea was the data source for this population‐based cohort study. We enrolled all adult patients aged ≥18 years receiving intensive care unit ECMO support from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2018. The study population was divided into three groups based on the main diagnoses during ECMO support: (1) cardiovascular, (2) respiratory, and (3) other diagnoses group (all other main diagnoses rather than cardiovascular or respiratory diseases). Results: A total of 18 697 patients were included in the final analysis (64.5%, 10.9%, and 24.6% in the cardiovascular, respiratory, and other groups, respectively). The corresponding 7‐, 30‐, 60‐, and 365‐day mortality rates in these groups were 33.1%, 56.1%, 62.4%, and 67.7%. Kaplan–Meier curves demonstrated that the median survival time was shortest in the cardiovascular group (12.0 days, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 11.3–12.7), with 31.0 (95% CI: 28.5–33.6) and 49.0 (95% CI: 44.4–57.6) day survival in the respiratory and other diagnoses groups (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Approximately one‐third of patients died within 7 days, half of the patients died within 30 days, and two‐thirds died within 365 days of ECMO support. Overall survival time was shortest in the cardiovascular group, followed by that of the respiratory group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Around 5% of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) patients develop critical disease, with severe pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In these cases, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) may be considered when conventional therapy fails. This study aimed to describe the clinical characteristics and in‐hospital outcomes of COVID‐19 patients with ARDS refractory to lung‐protective ventilation and prone positioning on ECMO support, as well as to review the available literature on ECMO use and COVID‐19 patients' outcome. Patients from this case series were selected from the Brazilian COVID‐19 Registry. From the 7646 patients included in the registry, only eight received ECMO support (0.1%), in four hospitals. The median age of the entire sample was 59 (interquartile range 54.2–64.4) years old and 87.5% were male. Hypertension (50.0%), diabetes mellitus (50.0%) and obesity (37.5%) were the most frequent comorbidities. The indications for ECMO were PaO2/FiO2 ratio <80 mm Hg for more than 6 h or PaO2/FiO2 ratio <60 mm Hg for more than 3 h. The mortality rate was 87.5%. In conclusion, in this case series of COVID‐19 patients with ARDS refractory to conventional therapy who received ECMO support, a very high mortality was observed. Our findings are not different from previous studies including a small number of patients; however, there is a huge difference from Extracorporeal Life Support Organization results, which encourages us to keep looking for improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A paucity of evidence exists regarding risks and benefits of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in adult liver transplantation. Methods: This was a systematic review conducted from January 1, 2000 to April 24, 2020 of adult liver transplant recipients (pre‐ or post‐transplant) and donors who underwent Veno‐arterial or Veno‐venous ECMO cannulation. Death was the primary outcome, with graft function and complications as secondary outcomes. Results: Forty‐one articles were identified that fit criteria. A total of 183 donors were placed on ECMO, with recipient complication profiles and mortality that mirrored rates from standard criteria donors. Sixty‐one recipients were placed on ECMO intraoperatively or postoperatively. Most patients experienced at least one complication with infections as the most common cause and minimal complications specifically related to ECMO use. Multisystem organ failure (MSOF) and infections were more common among liver recipients who died compared to those who survived. Overall mortality at 90 days was 45.9%. Causes of death were most commonly MSOF and infections. Conclusions: ECMO use in adult liver transplantation is a useful adjunct. Recipient morbidity and mortality from donors placed on ECMO parallel that of recipients from standard criteria donors, and morbidity and mortality of recipients placed on ECMO are similar to other ECMO populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In‐hospital mortality of adult veno‐venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V‐V ECMO) patients remains invariably high. However, little is known regarding timing and causes of in‐hospital death, either on‐ECMO or after weaning. The current review aims to investigate the timing and causes of death of adult patients during hospital admittance for V‐V ECMO, and to define the V‐V ECMO gap, which is represented by the patients that are successfully weaned of ECMO but still die during hospital stay. A systematic search was performed using electronic MEDLINE and EMBASE databases through PubMed. Studies reporting on adult V‐V ECMO patients from January 2006 to December 2020 were screened. Studies that did not report on at least on‐ECMO mortality and discharge rate were excluded from analysis as they could not provide the required information regarding the proposed V‐V ECMO‐gap. Mortality rates on‐ECMO and after weaning, as well as weaning and discharge rates, were analyzed as primary outcomes. Secondary outcomes were the causes of death and complications. Initially, 35 studies were finally included in this review. Merely 24 of these studies (comprising 975 patients) reported on prespecified V‐V ECMO outcomes (on‐ECMO mortality and discharge rate). Mortality on V‐V ECMO support was 27.8% (95% confidence interval (CI) 22.5%‐33.2%), whereas mortality after successful weaning was 12.7% (95% CI 8.8%‐16.6%, defining the V‐V ECMO gap). 72.2% of patients (95% CI 66.8%‐77.5%) were weaned successfully from support and 56.8% (95% CI 49.9%‐63.8%) of patients were discharged from hospital. The most common causes of death on ECMO were multiple organ failure, bleeding, and sepsis. Most common causes of death after weaning were multiorgan failure and sepsis. Although the majority of patients are weaned successfully from V‐V ECMO support, a significant proportion of subjects still die during hospital stay, defining the V‐V ECMO gap. Overall, timing and causes of death are poorly reported in current literature. Future studies on V‐V ECMO should describe morbidity and mortality outcomes in more detail in relation to the timing of the events, to improve patient management, due to enhanced understanding of the clinical course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Timing and causes of hospital mortality in adult patients undergoing veno‐arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V‐A ECMO) have been poorly described. Aim of the current review was to investigate the timing and causes of death of adult patients supported with V‐A ECMO and subsequently define the "V‐A ECMO gap," which represents the patients who are successfully weaned of ECMO but eventually die during hospital stay. A systematic search was performed using electronic MEDLINE and EMBASE databases through PubMed. Studies reporting on adult V‐A ECMO patients from January 1993 to December 2020 were screened. The studies included in this review were studies that reported more than 10 adult, human patients, and no mechanical circulatory support other than V‐A ECMO. Information extracted from each study included mainly mortality and causes of death on ECMO and after weaning. Complications and discharge rates were also extracted. Sixty studies with 9181 patients were included for analysis in this systematic review. Overall mortality was 38.0% (95% confidence intervals [CIs] 34.2%‐41.9%) during V‐A ECMO support (reported by 60 studies) and 15.3% (95% CI 11.1%‐19.5%, reported by 57 studies) after weaning. Finally, 44.0% of patients (95% CI 39.8‐52.2) were discharged from hospital (reported by 60 studies). Most common causes of death on ECMO were multiple organ failure, followed by cardiac failure and neurological causes. More than one‐third of V‐A ECMO patients die during ECMO support. Additionally, many of successfully weaned patients still decease during hospital stay, defining the "V‐A ECMO gap." Underreporting and lack of uniformity in reporting of important parameters remains problematic in ECMO research. Future studies should uniformly define timing and causes of death in V‐A ECMO patients to better understand the effectiveness and complications of this support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) represents a therapeutic option for cardiopulmonary support in patients with high‐risk pulmonary embolism (PE); however, no definite consensus exists on ECMO use in high‐risk PE. Hence, we aim to provide insights into its real‐world use pooling together all available published experiences. We performed a systematic review and pooled analysis of all published studies (up to April 17, 2020) investigating ECMO support in high‐risk PE. All studies including at least four patients were collectively analyzed. Study outcomes were early all‐cause death (primary endpoint) and relevant in‐hospital adverse events. A total of 21 studies were included in the pooled analysis (n = 635 patients). In this population (mean age 47.8 ± 17.3 years, 44.5% females), ECMO was indicated for cardiac arrest in 62.3% and immediate ECMO support was pursued in 61.9% of patients. Adjunctive reperfusion therapies were implemented in 57.0% of patients. Pooled estimate rate of early all‐cause mortality was 41.1% (95% CI 27.7%‐54.5%). The most common in‐hospital adverse event was major bleeding, with an estimated rate of 28.6% (95%CI 21.0%‐36.3%). At meta‐regression analyses, no significant impact of multiple covariates on the primary endpoint was found. In this systematic review of patients who received ECMO for high‐risk PE, pooled all‐cause mortality was 41.1%. Principal indication for ECMO was cardiac arrest, cannulation was chiefly performed at presentation, and major bleeding was the most common complication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) has been increasingly utilized to manage cardiac and pulmonary dysfunction. The impact of obesity on outcomes of ECLS is poorly defined. The purpose of the study was to compare in‐hospital mortality, resource use, complications, and readmissions in obese versus non‐obese patients receiving ECLS. We performed a retrospective cohort study of all adult ECLS patients with and without an obesity diagnosis using the 2010–2016 Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD). Mortality, length of stay (LOS), hospital charges, complications, and readmissions were evaluated using multivariable logistic and linear regression. Of 23 876, patients who received ECLS, 1924 (8.1%) were obese. Obese patients received ECLS more frequently for respiratory failure (29.5% vs. 23.7%, P =.001). After adjustment for patient and hospital factors, obesity was not associated with increased odds of mortality (AOR = 1.06, P =.44) and was associated with decreased LOS (13.7 vs. 21.2 days, P <.001), hospital charges ($171 866 vs. $211 445, P <.001), and 30‐day readmission (AOR = 0.71, P =.03). Obesity was also associated with reduced odds of hemorrhage (AOR = 0.43, P <.001), neurologic complications (AOR = 0.55, P =.004), and acute kidney injury (AOR=0.83, P =.04). After stratification by ECLS indication, obesity remained predictive of shorter LOS (AOR range: 0.53‐0.78, all P <.05) and did not impact mortality (all P >.05). Respiratory support remains the most common indication for ECLS among obese patients. Among all patients, as well as by individual ECLS indication, obesity was not associated with increased odds of mortality. These findings suggest that obesity should not be considered a high‐risk contraindication to ECLS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effectiveness of intra‐aortic balloon pump (IABP) combined with venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA‐ECMO) in patients with cardiogenic shock or cardiac arrest remains controversial. The aim of this systematic review and meta‐analysis was to investigate the short‐term clinical outcomes of IABP combined with VA‐ECMO versus VA‐ECMO alone. We searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library for English language articles published from inception to August 18, 2018. Observational studies comparing IABP combined with VA‐ECMO with VA‐ECMO were considered eligible for the current study. Twelve observational studies with 3704 patients were included. In the IABP combined with VA‐ECMO group mortality was 59.7%, compared with 65.8% in the VA‐ECMO alone group. The risk ratio (RR) for this comparison was 0.90 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80–1.02; P = 0.107; 59.7% vs. 65.8%). In the one‐way sensitivity analysis for estimating the effect of each study on mortality, omission of each study did not make a significant difference. Furthermore, the proportion of patients weaned from VA‐ECMO was significantly higher in IABP combined VA‐ECMO group than in the VA‐ECMO alone group (RR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.21–1.35; P < 0.001; 77.9% vs. 61.2%). IABP combined with VA‐ECMO could improve success rate of weaning from VA‐ECMO, but did not reduce in‐hospital mortality in patients with cardiogenic shock or cardiac arrest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Anemia is a component of the pathological triangle in cardiorenal anemia syndrome and is a risk factor for mortality in acute respiratory distress syndrome. This study assessed the predictive value of anemia for outcomes in critically ill patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support. This retrospective study analyzed patients who received ECMO support at the cardiovascular surgery intensive care unit in the study institute between July 2003 and March 2012. Patient data, such as demographic information, etiologies of ECMO implementation, clinical parameters, and in‐hospital and 6‐month mortality rates, were statistically analyzed. The overall in‐hospital mortality rate among the enrolled 295 patients was 55.6%. Multivariate logistical regression analysis indicated that age, albumin levels, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, and hemoglobin (Hb) level on ECMO day 1 exhibited independent prognostic significance for predicting in‐hospital mortality rate. The SOFA score exhibited the highest areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve value (0.812 ± 0.025). The Hb level on ECMO day 1 exhibited satisfactory calibration and discriminatory power. The cumulative 6‐month survival rates differed significantly between patients with Hb levels less than and more than 8.85 g/dL (30.6 vs. 54.0%, respectively, P < 0.001). This study indicated that old age, low albumin levels, low Hb levels, and higher SOFA scores on ECMO day 1 increased the risk of mortality. The Hb level is a readily measurable parameter and with good predictive power for critical patients on ECMO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cannulation-related complications are a known source of morbidity in patients supported on veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO). Despite its prevalence, little is known regarding the outcomes of patients who suffer such complications. This is a single institution review of cannulation-related complications and its effect on mortality in patients supported on VA-ECMO from January 2010-2015 using three cannulation strategies: axillary, femoral, and central. Complications were defined as advanced if they required major interventions (fasciotomy, amputation, site conversion). Patients were divided into two groups (complication present vs. not present) and Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to determine any differences in their survival distributions. There were 103 patients supported on VA-ECMO: 41 (40%), 36 (35%), and 26 (25%) were cannulated via axillary, femoral, and central access, respectively. Cannulation-related complications occurred in 33 (32%) patients and this did not differ significantly between either axillary (34%), femoral (36%), or central (23%) strategies ( P = 0.52). The most common complications encountered were hemorrhage and limb ischemia in 19 (18%) and 11 (11%) patients. Hemorrhagic complications did not differ between groups ( P = 0.37), while limb ischemia and hyperperfusion were significantly associated with femoral and axillary cannulation, at a rate of 25% ( P < 0.01) and 15% ( P = 0.01), respectively. There was no difference in the incidence of advanced complications between cannulation groups: axillary (12%) vs. femoral (14%) vs. central (8%; P = 0.75). In addition, no increase in mortality was noted in patients who developed a cannulation-related complication by Kaplan-Meier estimates ( P = 0.37). Cannulation-related complications affect a significant proportion of patients supported on VA-ECMO but do not differ in incidence between different cannulation strategies and do not affect patient mortality. Improved efforts at preventing these complications need to be developed to avoid the additional morbidity in an already critical patient population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recommendations concerning the management of hemoglobin levels and hematocrit in patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation ( ECMO) still advise maintenance of a normal hematocrit. In contrast, current transfusion guidelines for critically ill patients support restrictive transfusion practice. We report on a series of patients receiving venovenous ECMO (vv ECMO) for acute respiratory distress syndrome ( ARDS) treated according to the restrictive transfusion regimen recommended for critically ill patients. We retrospectively analyzed 18 patients receiving vv ECMO due to severe ARDS. Hemoglobin concentrations were kept between 7 and 9 g/d L with a transfusion trigger at 7 g/d L or when physiological transfusion triggers were apparent. We assessed baseline data, hospital mortality, time on ECMO, hemoglobin levels, hematocrit, quantities of packed red blood cells received, and lactate concentrations and compared survivors and nonsurvivors. The overall mortality of all patients on vv ECMO was 38.9%. Mean hemoglobin concentration over all patients and ECMO days was 8.30 ± 0.51 g/d L, and hematocrit was 0.25 ± 0.01, with no difference between survivors and nonsurvivors. Mean numbers of given PRBCs showed a trend towards higher quantities in the group of nonsurvivors, but the difference was not significant (1.97 ± 1.47 vs. 0.96 ± 0.76 units; P = 0.07). Mean lactate clearance from the first to the third day was 45.4 ± 28.3%, with no significant difference between survivors and nonsurvivors ( P = 0.19). In our cohort of patients treated with ECMO due to severe ARDS, the application of a restrictive transfusion protocol did not result in an increased mortality. Safety and feasibility of the application of a restrictive transfusion protocol in patients on ECMO must further be evaluated in randomized controlled trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2004, our institution has adopted venoarterial (VA) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for patients who otherwise could not be weaned from cardiopulmonary bypass and patients experiencing cardiogenic shock and/or pulmonary dysfunction unresponsive to conventional treatments. In this study, we reviewed our experience with ECMO support and tried to identify predictors of in-hospital mortality. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical records of 121 consecutive patients receiving ECMO. Patients were divided into adult and pediatric groups and analyzed separately. Demographics, clinical characteristics at the time of ECMO implantation, ECMO-related complications, and in-hospital mortality were collected. Logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate predictors of mortality. A P value ≤0.05 was accepted as significant. Sixty-eight adult patients and 53 pediatric patients were included in this study. In adult patients, 52 were weaned from ECMO and 43 survived upon discharge. After univariate analysis, ECMO setup location, receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitation before ECMO, leg ischemia, hemolysis, acute renal failure (ARF), neurological dysfunction, and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome were associated with in-hospital death. In multiple logistic regression analyses, leg ischemia (OR 14.68, 95% CI 1.67-129.1), ARF (OR 12.14, 95% CI 2.5-58.8), and neurological dysfunction (OR 49.0, 95% CI 2.28-1051.96) were risk factors associated with in-hospital mortality. Patients put on ECMO in the operating room had a better chance of survival (OR 0.078, 95% CI 0.013-0.417). In pediatric patients, 30 were weaned from ECMO and 26 survived upon discharge. After univariate analysis, age, weight, and eight ECMO complications were associated with in-hospital death. In multiple logistic regression analyses, ARF (OR 24.0, 95% CI 4.2-137.3) was a risk factor associated with in-hospital mortality. A P value of 0.921 and >0.99 was obtained by the Hosmer-Lemeshow test, and the area under the curve was 0.863 and 0.867 for adult and pediatric patients, respectively. The overall survival rate was 57%. ECMO is a justifiable alternative treatment for refractory cardiac and/or pulmonary dysfunction which could rescue more than 50% of carefully selected patients. Higher survival rates could be achieved by preventing ECMO complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has long been the sole means of mechanical support for pediatric patients with end-stage cardiac failure, but has a high waitlist mortality and a reported survival to hospital discharge of less than 50%. The purpose of this study was to compare waitlist mortality and survival for ECMO versus ventricular assist device (VAD) support. A review was conducted of all patients listed for heart transplantation (HTx) since 2002 and requiring mechanical support. VAD support has been available from 2004 (Berlin Heart Excor Pediatrics). Competing risks analysis was used to model survival to one of four outcomes (HTx, death on waitlist, delisting, improvement). Thirty-six patients were on mechanical support while awaiting HTx (21 ECMO, 12 VAD, three both). Median age at listing was 1.2 years (birth-16.6 years) for ECMO and 11.3 years (0.3-14.6 years) for VAD. Diagnosis was cardiomyopathy in 33% for ECMO and 93% for VAD. Median time to HTx was 37 days (1-930) overall, 20 days (1-85) for ECMO, and 39 days (5-108) for VAD. Mechanical support was associated with increased odds of HTx (hazard ratio [HR] 2.4 [1.7-3.3], P < 0.0001) but also delisting or death waiting (HR 3.0 [1.1-7.8], P = 0.03). Waitlist mortality of 38% on ECMO was reduced to 13% with VAD use. Survival post-HTx to hospital discharge was better in the group on VAD support (92 vs. 80%). Pediatric patients requiring mechanical support as a bridge to HTx have short wait times but high waitlist mortality. Those patients who survived to be put on the Berlin Heart Excor Pediatric device based on individualized clinical decision making then had a lower waitlist mortality, a longer duration of support, and a higher survival to transplantation and hospital discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) can provide short-term cardiopulmonary support to critically ill patients. Among ECMO patients, acute renal failure requiring dialysis has an ominous prognosis. However, a prognostic scoring system and risk factors adjustment for hospital mortality in these patients have not been elucidated previously. A multicenter observational cohort study was conducted from January 2002 to December 2006. Information obtained included demographics, biochemical variables, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II, III, and IV scores at ICU admission and initial acute dialysis, and hospital mortality in 102 non-coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients receiving ECMO support with acute dialysis. This retrospective cohort study included 70 men and 32 women with a mean age of 47.9 ± 15.7 years. Seventy-two patients (70.6%) had hospital mortality. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve showed APACHE IV (0.653) had a better discriminative power to predict hospital mortality than APACHE II (0.584) and APACHE III (0.634) at initializing dialysis. Hosmer-Lemeshow statistics showed good calibration for all three scores to predict hospital mortality at initializing dialysis (APACHE IV, P = 0.392; APACHE III, P = 0.094; and APACHE II, P = 0.673). Independent predictors for hospital mortality by multivariate logistic regression analysis were higher central venous pressure (odds ratio [OR], 1.11; confidence interval [CI] 95%, 1.02-1.20; P = 0.016), higher APACHE IV score at initializing dialysis (OR, 1.03; CI 95%, 1.01-1.05; P = 0.003), and latency from hospital admission to dialysis (OR, 1.04; CI 95%, 1.00-1.08; P = 0.033). High mortality rate was noted in non-CABG patients receiving ECMO and acute dialysis. Predialysis APACHE IV scores had good calibration and moderate discrimination in predicting hospital mortality in these patients. Because ECMO support could stabilize cardiopulmonary status, APACHE IV scores would likewise underestimate disease severity at lower score ranges in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical support is often the only therapeutic option in low cardiac output (LCO) following cardiac operation using extracorporeal circulation (ECC). However, the question whether primary ventricular assist device (VAD) or primary extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) followed by secondary VAD implantation is superior remains unclear. We analyzed the outcome of 183 patients with LCO following ECC. Primary VAD implantation (VAD) was performed on 20 patients and 163 patients underwent ECMO implantation (ECMO). Out of this group, 13 patients received a secondary VAD (ECMO-VAD). Age was significantly lower in the VAD group, while gender and type of operation were similarly distributed. Thirty-day mortalities were 50, 75, and 46% (VAD, ECMO, and ECMO-VAD, respectively; P < 0.05 ECMO vs. VAD and ECMO-VAD). Survival was best with VAD implantation 1.2 ± 1.2 days following LCO. In conclusion, the outcome of LCO following ECC remains poor. Early VAD support provides best survival. Primary or secondary VAD implantation has no impact on survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]