Outcome in patients who require venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support after cardiac surgery.
OBJECTIVE
The authors analyzed hospital mortality in adult cardiac surgery patients who required postoperative venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support for circulatory failure and identified perioperative patient variables associated with hospital mortality in these patients.


METHODS
A retrospective study.


METHODS
A single institution, tertiary academic center.


METHODS
Adult patients requiring venoarterial ECMO support after cardiac surgery from January 1995 to December 2005 were identified from the Anesthesiology Institute Patient Registry. Twenty-two preselected patient variables were entered into a logistic regression model of hospital death.


METHODS
None.


RESULTS
Two hundred thirty-three of 40,116 (0.58%) adult cardiac surgery patients required postoperative venoarterial ECMO, and among these, 149 (64%) died in the hospital. In an unadjusted analysis, older age, higher preoperative albumin, diabetes history, coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and longer total cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time were associated with increased hospital mortality, and a history of cardiogenic shock was associated with decreased mortality. In an adjusted logistic regression analysis, a history of cardiogenic shock and younger age were associated with decreased hospital mortality. The overall use of postoperative venoarterial ECMO in this patient population decreased since its peak in 1996.


CONCLUSIONS
Venoarterial ECMO support after cardiac surgery was required in a small fraction of patients and was associated with very high hospital mortality; but among those requiring ECMO, mortality in these patients was lower in younger, nondiabetic patients with cardiogenic shock who had shorter CPB times. The mortality associated patient variables identified are not easily modifiable and do not appear sufficiently robust to define which patients should be selected for this potentially life-saving therapy.
Elsharkawy
Hesham A
HA
Department of Cardiothoracic Anesthesia, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA. elsharh@ccf.org
Li
Liang
L
Esa
Wael Ali Sakr
WA
Sessler
Daniel I
DI
Bashour
C Allen
CA
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality*; D003422:Critical Care; D015199:Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D017741:Survivors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult