Objective Bleeding is a severe complication of patients supported with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). This study aimed to analyze the occurrence, risk factors, and clinical outcomes of patients on ECMO with bleeding complications. Methods ECMO cases reported to the multicenter ECMO registry database of the Chinese Society of Extracorporeal Life Support (CSECLS) from January 2017 to December 2020 were enrolled. General information, ECMO indications, application, complications, and patient outcomes were collected and analyzed. Results A total of 6541 ECMO patients from 112 centers were enrolled. Overall, 1185 patients (18.1%) presented with one of the following bleeding complications, including 82 cases (1.3%) with severe bleeding during ECMO catheterization, 462 cases (7.1%) with bleeding at the ECMO cannulation site, 200 cases (3.5%) with bleeding at the surgical site, 180 cases (2.8%) with cerebral hemorrhage, 99 cases (1.5%) with pulmonary hemorrhage, 200 cases (3.5%) with gastrointestinal hemorrhage, 82 cases (1.3%) with ECMO withdrawal, and 118 (1.8%) deaths due to severe bleeding. Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) patients had the highest incidence of bleeding complications (22.4%), followed by those on circulatory support (18.7%) and respiratory support (15.4%) (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that pediatric patients (odds ratio [OR] 1.509, p < 0.001), patients receiving renal replacement therapy (OR 1.932, p < 0.001), and patients receiving central ECMO cannulation (OR 3.023, p < 0.001) were independent risk factors for all bleeding complications, while peripheral cannulation (OR 0.712, p < 0.001) was an independent protective factor. Patients with any bleeding complication had significantly higher in‐hospital mortality than patients without (61.9% vs. 46.3%, p < 0.001). Conclusion Up to 18.1% of ECMO patients in the CSECLS registry experienced bleeding complications, which was associated with higher in‐hospital mortality, especially in patients who received ECPR, patients on circulatory support, and pediatric patients, which should arouse the attention of clinicians.

ObjectiveTo investigate the feasibility of drainage from the superior vena cava (SVC) to improve upper body oxygenation in patients with cardiogenic shock undergoing femoral veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO).MethodsSeventeen adult patients receiving peripheral femoral VA ECMO for circulatory support were enrolled. The femoral drainage cannula was shifted three times (from the inferior vena cava (IVC) level to the SVC level and then the IVC level again), all under ultrasound guidance, at an interval of 15 minutes. The blood gas levels of the right radial artery (RA) and SVC and cerebral oxygen saturation (ScO2) were measured and compared.ResultsFifteen patients (88.2%) were successfully weaned from ECMO, and 12 patients (70.6%) survived to discharge. The oxygen saturation (SO2) and oxygen partial pressure (PO2) of the RA (97.0 ± 3.5% to 98.3 ± 1.5%, P &lt; 0.05, SO2; 127.4 ± 58.2 mmHg to 153.1 ± 67.8 mmHg, P &lt; 0.05, PO2) and SVC (69.5 ± 9.0% to 75.7 ± 8.5%, P &lt; 0.05, SO2; 38.5 ± 5.6 mmHg to 43.6 ± 6.4 mmHg, P &lt; 0.05, PO2) were increased; ScO2 was also increased on both sides (left: 50.6 ± 8.6% to 55.0 ± 9.0%, P &lt; 0.05; right: 48.7 ± 9.2% to 52.3 ± 9.8%, P &lt; 0.05) when the femoral drainage cannula was shifted from the IVC level to the SVC level. When the femoral drainage cannula was shifted from SVC level to the IVC level again, the SO2 and PO2 of RA (98.3 ± 1.5% to 96.9 ± 3.2%, P &lt;0.05, SO2; 153.1 ± 67.8 mmHg to 125.8 ± 63.3 mmHg, P &lt;0.05, PO2) and SVC (75.7 ± 38.5% to 70.4 ± 7.6%, P &lt;0.05, SO2; 43.6 ± 6.4 mmHg to 38.9 ± 4.5 mmHg, P &lt;0.05, PO2) were decreased; ScO2 was also reduced on both sides (left: 55.0 ± 9.0% to 50.7 ± 8.2%, P &lt; 0.05; right: 52.3 ± 9.8% to 48.7 ± 9.3%, P &lt;0.05).ConclusionDrainage from the SVC by shifting the cannula upward could improve upper body oxygenation in patients with cardiogenic shock undergoing femoral VA ECMO. This cannulation strategy provides an alternative solution for differential hypoxia.

AimsTo investigate the impact of intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) on the regional haemodynamics of patients with severe cardiogenic shock undergoing femoro-femoral veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO). Methods and resultsFrom July 2017 to April 2018, a total of 39 adult patients with cardiogenic shock receiving both IABP and ECMO for circulatory support were enrolled consecutively in a university-affiliated cardiac surgery intensive care unit. The blood flow rates (BFRs) of the bilateral femoral artery (IABP side: iFA, ECMO side: eFA) and carotid artery (left: LCA, right: RCA) and the velocity time integral (VTI) of aortic root were assessed by ultrasonography and compared when IABP was on and off. Seventeen of 39 (43.6%) patients survived to discharge, and 29 (74.4%) survived on ECMO. A total of 172 pairs of data (IABP on and off) were collected in this study, measured on the median of 2.0 (1.0, 4.5) days after patients received VA-ECMO. The BFR on both sides of FA (iFA: 176.4 ± 104.5 vs. 152.2 ± 139.8 mL/min, P < 0.01; eFA: 299.3 ± 279.9 vs. 242.4 ± 258.8 mL/min, P < 0.01) and the aortic VTI (10.1 ± 4.4 vs. 8.5 ± 4.4 cm, P < 0.01) decreased significantly when turning the IABP off, while the BFR on both sides of CA remained unchanged (LCA: 555.7 ± 326.9 vs. 578.6 ± 328.0 mL/min, P = 0.27; RCA: 550.0 ± 331.1 vs. 533.0 ± 303.5 mL/min, P = 0.30). The LCA BFR dramatically increased after turning the IABP off (296.8 ± 129.7 vs. 401.4 ± 278.1 mL/min, P = 0.02) in patients with cardiac stunning (defined as pulse pressure ≤ 5 mmHg). However, there was no significant difference in LCA BFR between IABP-On and IABD-Off (359.6 ± 105.4 mL/min vs. 389.6 ± 139.3 mL/min, P = 0.31) in patients with cardiac stunning receiving a higher ECMO blood flow (> 3.5 L/min). Conclusions Concomitant IABP used in patients undergoing femoro-femoral VA-ECMO was associated with increased aortic VTI and BFR in bilateral FA. The change in CA BFR depended on cardiac function. A decreased LCA BFR was observed in patients with cardiac stunning when IABP was turned on, which might be compensated by a higher ECMO blood flow. Further study is needed to confirm the relationship between BFR and extremities and neurological complications.

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