title: Institution of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation late after lung transplantation - a futile exercise?
abstract: The use of and indications for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) are expanding as its reliability improves with widely varying results reported. A retrospective review of 24 lung transplant recipients who required ECMO support postoperatively was performed with 13 patients requiring ECMO within the first 48 h ("early" group) and 11 requiring ECMO after seven d postoperatively ("late" group). The majority of early ECMO group had primary graft failure patients and the late ECMO group comprised patients with infection or non-specific graft failure. There were significant differences in outcomes between groups, with 10/13 in the early group and 4/11 in the late group successfully weaned from ECMO (p = 0.045). Six of the 13 patients in the early group and none of the late group survived to hospital discharge (p = 0.009). The late ECMO group had a much higher incidence of death owing to complications existing prior to institution of ECMO (essentially uncontrolled infection or organ failure). There were no differences in complications arising during ECMO between groups. Late institution of ECMO in lung transplant recipients for causes other than primary graft failure is associated with such poor survival that its use should be considered only in very select cases.
authors.affiliation: Cardiothoracic Surgery Unit, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Vic., Australia. s.marasco@alfred.org.au
authors.forename: Silvana F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Marasco
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vale
authors.forename: Arthur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Preovolos
authors.forename: Vince
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pellegrino
authors.forename: Geraldine
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Greg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Snell
authors.forename: Trevor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015199:Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D016040:Lung Transplantation / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D018447:Medical Futility; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome