title: Percutaneous extracorporeal life support in patients with circulatory failure: results of the German Lifebridge Registry.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Mortality rates remain high in patients with cardiogenic shock or acute refractory circulatory failure. Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) has been recently introduced into clinical practice for treatment of refractory hypotension in selected patients in combination with rapid restoration of gas exchange. The aim of this study was to evaluate the procedural performance and safety of the automated Lifebridge ECLS system (Zoll Lifebridge GmbH).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of five tertiary cardiovascular centers located in Germany contributed data to this registry (n = 54 patients). Data were collected using a standardized case report form to record clinical characteristics, demographic, procedural, and follow-up data. Patients were included if they were in circulatory crisis (caused by cardiogenic shock or ongoing resuscitation) in an acute setting or in an elective setting during high-risk percutaneous intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Lifebridge device was successfully used in all patients. During elective use, no complications occurred besides 1 minor vascular injury. All elective patients were successfully weaned from the device and alive at the primary endpoint after 30 days. In the emergency setting, 85% of the patients were successfully weaned from the device and 49% of the patients were alive after 30 days. Relevant bleeding resulting in transfusion of red blood cells occurred in 5% of patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this observational study, we report data from the real-world use of a novel automated ECLS system. Elective use of Lifebridge was feasible and safe without major side effects. In the emergency setting, mortality rates were high; however, stabilization of the selected patients was safe and feasible.
authors: Clinic of Internal Medicine I, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Erlanger Allee 101, D-07747 Jena, Germany. christian.jung@med.uni-jena.de.
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Jung
authors: Marcus
authors: M
authors: Franz
authors: Hans-Rainer
authors: HR
authors: Figulla
authors: Steffen
authors: S
authors: Sonntag
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Hug
authors: Harald
authors: H
authors: Mudra
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Bauerschmitt
authors: Franz-Xaver
authors: FX
authors: Kleber
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Feindt
authors: Uwe
authors: U
authors: Mehlhorn
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Vahl
authors: Hans-Juergen
authors: HJ
authors: Bruns
authors: Markus
authors: M
authors: Ferrari
mesh_terms: D015199:Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012770:Shock, Cardiogenic / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends