title: Established markers of renal and hepatic failure are not appropriate to predict mortality in the acute stage before extracorporeal life support implantation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  End-organ function, especially of the kidney and liver, actual inflammation and acid-base balance affect the outcome in extracorporeal life support (ECLS) patients. However, the often unexpected necessity of ECLS implies that information on patients is scarce. Even established global scores are not always useful in the rapid decision process for ECLS. Therefore, we evaluated laboratory parameters for kidney or liver function and for inflammation and acid-base balance with regard to outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  The retrospective analysis includes 69 consecutive adult patients with veno-arterial ECLS. Laboratory markers for function of kidney (creatinine, urea) and liver (total bilirubin in plasma, glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase and glutamate pyruvate transaminase) as well as for inflammation (C-reactive protein, leucocyte counts) and acid-base balance (pH, lactate) were acquired within 24 h before ECLS implantation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 38 patients (55%) could be weaned or bridged. Bridged patients were switched to ventricular assist devices, n=10, or total artificial hearts, n=2, and one patient underwent heart transplantation. Overall, 26 ECLS patients (38%) survived for >4 weeks. Thirty-one patients (45%) died on ECLS. About three out of four patients presented with impaired renal or hepatic performance, approximately two-thirds with signs of increased inflammatory state, and more than a half with deranged acid-base balance. Neither signs of hepatic or renal failure nor of inflammation or impaired acid-base balance allowed a prediction of survival in these patients. The outcome did also not depend on indication for ECLS implantation. However, there was a significant correlation between the patients' age and mortality (P=0.006).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data indicate that renal and hepatic insufficiency, increased inflammatory state and deranged acid-base balance as determined by pre-operative laboratory data are not associated with poor outcome of ECLS. Further, survival is not related to indications for ECLS. In a number of patients, ECLS allows for successful bridging to other treatment options.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Heart Center Freiburg-Bad Krozingen, Freiburg, Germany. claudia.heilmann@uniklinik-freiburg.de
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Heilmann
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Trummer
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berchtold-Herz
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Benk
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siepe
authors.forename: Friedhelm
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Beyersdorf
mesh_terms: D000137:Acid-Base Imbalance / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D005112:Extracorporeal Circulation / Q000401:mortality*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality; D007677:Kidney Function Tests; D008020:Life Support Care / Q000379:methods*; D017093:Liver Failure / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D051437:Renal Insufficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers