Aspergillus infection and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support.
BACKGROUND
The clinical characteristics of patients with Aspergillus isolation while supported on extracorporeal membrane oxygenator (ECMO) remain unclear.


OBJECTIVE
We present a case report of angioinvasive Aspergillus infection on an infant supported on ECMO and also investigate outcomes among patients with Aspergillus infection reported to the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) registry.


METHODS
Case report and retrospective analysis of ELSO registry data set from 1985 to 2009.


METHODS
One hundred and seventy ECMO centers contributing data to the ELSO registry.


METHODS
Single case report and patients 0 to 90 years of age with Aspergillus infection requiring ECMO support as reported to the ELSO registry.


METHODS
Besides presenting details of our institutional case, we compared clinical characteristics and outcomes between pediatric and adult patients with Aspergillus isolation. Risk factors for in-hospital mortality were investigated. Kaplan-Meier estimates for freedom from death on ECMO for pediatric and adult patients were investigated.


RESULTS
(a) we report a case with Aspergillus supported on ECMO, (b) the ELSO registry yielded 46 patients with 59% (n = 27) in the pediatric data set (≤20 years of age) and 41% (n = 19) in the adult data set (>20 years of age) with Aspergillus infection requiring ECMO support. Overall survival to hospital discharge was 30% (14/46) with 22% (6/27) in children as compared to 42% (8/18) in adults (P = .19). Table 1 shows a comparison of clinical characteristics between children and adults. The comparison between adults and pediatric groups differed significantly in age (P = .0001), more use of venoarterial ECMO in children (P = .028). The median age of pediatric group was 1.95 years (range 0-17.3 years) versus 30.2 years (range 22-60 years) among adults.


CONCLUSIONS
Aspergillus infection/colonization is associated with a 70% overall mortality among patients supported on ECMO. The ELSO registry data confirms that Aspergillus infection among ECMO supported patients occurs often in hosts who do not have known immunodeficiencies. The case stresses the need for a high level of suspicion for Aspergillus infection in nonimproving lung disease in patients on ECMO support.
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Critical Care, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas Medical Sciences, Arkansas Children Hospital, Little Rock, AR, USA. garciaxiomara@uams.edu
Xiomara
X
Garcia
A
A
Mian
P
P
Mendiratta
Punkaj
P
Gupta
P
P
Rycus
P
P
Prodhan
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D001230:Aspergillus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015199:Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult