Using ECMO for Heart Support After Surgery
Author Information
Author(s): Jaschinski UJ, Kierschke G, Forst H, Beyer M
Primary Institution: Klinikum Augsburg, Germany
Hypothesis
What factors predict poor outcomes for patients using ECMO after heart surgery?
Conclusion
ECMO after open heart surgery showed a very high mortality rate of 68.5%, indicating it may not be suitable for patients who had CPR before surgery.
Supporting Evidence
- The mean preoperative ejection fraction (EF) was 20.8%.
- 57.8% of patients received an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) before ECMO.
- The most frequent complications included arrhythmia (63.1%) and bleeding (78.9%).
- 100% of patients experienced respiratory failure with a paO2/FiO2 < 250 mmHg.
Takeaway
Doctors used a special machine called ECMO to help patients' hearts after surgery, but many of them didn't survive. If a patient needed CPR before surgery, they were even less likely to survive.
Methodology
Analysis of a prospective evaluated dataset in a surgical ICU of a university teaching hospital.
Limitations
The study's findings need to be confirmed by a larger, adequately powered trial.
Participant Demographics
Mean age of patients was 58 years, with 47.3% having undergone CPR before surgery.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website