In-hospital and 6-month outcomes in patients with COVID-19 supported with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (EuroECMO-COVID): a multicentre, prospective observational study

Outcomes of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) for COVID-19 Patients: A Multi-Institutional Analysis

“…For transparency, we emphasize that some of this cohort’s data were published recently by Lorusso et al [ 9 ]. However, the primary purpose of both studies is different.…”

VV-ECMO in severe COVID-19: multidimensional perspectives on the use of a complex treatment

“…In conclusion, we welcome the valuable results of the studies by Lorusso and colleagues 4 and Schmidt and colleagues, 5 but we are still limited in our ability to effectively identify candidates for VV-ECMO and to provide patients, families, and other members of the health-care team with a precise expectation of what surviving VV-ECMO entails. We do not yet have a comprehensive understanding of the physical, cognitive, and psychological sequelae of critical illness and ECMO support, or the impact on caregivers.…”

“… 1 , 2 Evolving outcomes of patients on VV-ECMO during the COVID-19 pandemic showed that current selection criteria might not effectively guide decision making under unprecedented levels of health-care system strain, and accentuated the need for reliable prognostic models and better understanding of both short-term and long-term outcomes. 3 In this context, we read with interest the two studies by Roberto Lorusso and colleagues 4 and by Matthieu Schmidt and colleagues, 5 published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine .…”

“…In their prospective, multicentre observational cohort study, Lorusso and colleagues 4 sought to identify associations between clinical characteristics at the time of VV-ECMO cannulation and in-hospital mortality, and to report 6-month functional outcomes in patients supported with VV-ECMO during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (March–September, 2020). Data from 1215 patients were analysed using mixed Cox proportional hazards models.…”

“…It is increasingly recognised that patient-centred outcomes should not be limited to survival, and as health-care systems evolve to models of shared decision making, a turn towards multidimensional outcomes and away from mortality in isolation is warranted. In their study, Lorusso and colleagues 4 attempted to provide such information by reporting 6-month survival and functional outcomes, and demonstrated that a substantial proportion of patients had persistent dyspnoea, cardiac and neurocognitive symptoms, and overall low back-to-work rates (both full-time or part-time). Unfortunately, data collection was not standardised and did not include recommended assessment scales for disability, mood disorders, and cognitive dysfunction (functional independence measure, 6-min walk test, pulmonary function test, and Short Form-36 questionnaire), 7 , 8 , 9 increasing the risk of recall bias, missing data, and competing risks, among other confounding factors.…”