Pa o2 and Mortality in Neonatal Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: Retrospective Analysis of the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization Registry, 2015-2020.

Objectives: Extracorporeal life support can lead to rapid reversal of hypoxemia but the benefits and harms of different oxygenation targets in severely ill patients are unclear. Our primary objective was to investigate the association between the Pa o2 after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) initiation and mortality in neonates treated for respiratory failure.
Design: Retrospective analysis of the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) Registry data, 2015-2020.
Patients: Newborns supported by ECMO for respiratory indication were included.
Interventions: None.
Measurements and Main Results: Pa o2 24 hours after ECMO initiation (H24 Pa o2 ) was reported. The primary outcome was 28-day mortality. We identified 3533 newborns (median age 1 d [interquartile range (IQR), 1-3]; median weight 3.2 kg [IQR, 2.8-3.6]) from 198 ELSO centers, who were placed on ECMO. By 28 days of life, 731 (20.7%) had died. The median H24 Pa o2 was 85 mm Hg (IQR, 60-142). We found that both hypoxia (Pa o2 < 60 mm Hg) and moderate hyperoxia (Pa o2 201-300 mm Hg) were associated with greater adjusted odds ratio (aOR [95% CI]) of 28-day mortality, respectively: aOR 1.44 (95% CI, 1.08-1.93), p = 0.016, and aOR 1.49 (95% CI, 1.01-2.19), p value equals to 0.045.
Conclusions: Early hypoxia or moderate hyperoxia after ECMO initiation are each associated with greater odds of 28-day mortality among neonates requiring ECMO for respiratory failure.
Competing Interests: Dr. Tonna is supported by a Career Development Award from the National Institutes of Health/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (K23 HL141596). Dr. Tonna is the Chair of the Registry Committee of the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization. Dr. Moscatelli is a consultant for Air Liquide Santé International as a member of the advisory board on the use of inhaled nitric oxide for cardiothoracic indications. The remaining authors have disclosed that they do not have any potential conflicts of interest.
(Copyright © 2024 by the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies.)