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Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation during the first three waves of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: A retrospective single‐center registry study
Author(s) -
Widmeier Eugen,
Wengenmayer Tobias,
Maier Sven,
Benk Christoph,
Zotzmann Viviane,
Staudacher Dawid L.,
Supady Alexander
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
artificial organs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.684
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1525-1594
pISSN - 0160-564X
DOI - 10.1111/aor.14270
Subject(s) - extracorporeal membrane oxygenation , medicine , retrospective cohort study , pandemic , single center , covid-19 , survival rate , survival analysis , mortality rate , respiratory failure , emergency medicine , surgery , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty)
Background Despite increasing knowledge about the optimal treatment for patients with severe COVID‐19, data from different cohorts suggested that survival of patients treated with ECMO seemed to decline over the course of the pandemic. Methods In this non‐interventional retrospective single‐center registry study we analyzed all consecutive patients tested positive for SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and supported with VV ECMO in our center during the first three waves of the pandemic. From March 2020 through June 2021, 59 patients have been included. Results Overall 90‐day survival was 32%. Besides changes in drug treatment for COVID‐19 and a lower PaO 2 /FiO 2 ratio before ECMO initiation during the third wave, all other patient baseline characteristics were similar during the three waves. Survival rate was highest during the first wave and lowest during the third wave, yet this difference was not statistically significant. Conclusions VV ECMO has shown to be a feasible and safe support option for patients with severe respiratory failure due to COVID‐19. The results from this single‐center study confirm findings from other cohorts showing declining survival rates of patients treated with VV ECMO during the COVID‐19 pandemic, however, the specific reasons for this finding remain unclear.