A decade of interfacility extracorporeal membrane oxygenation transport

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is used to provide support for patients with cardiopulmonary failure. Best available medical management often fails in these patients and referring hospitals have no further recourse for escalating care apart from transfer to a tertiary facility. In severely unstable patients, the only option might be to use ECMO to facilitate safe transport. This study aimed to examine the characteristics and outcomes of patients transported while receiving ECMO.

Statistical analysis was performed on data gathered retrospectively from the electronic medical records of adult patients transported while receiving ECMO to Columbia University Medical Center between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2017.

Two hundred sixty five adult patients were safely transported while receiving ECMO with no transport-related complications that adversely affected outcomes. Transport distance ranged from 0.2 to 7084 miles with a median distance of 16.9 miles. One hundred eighty-three (69%) received on veno-venous, 72 (27%) veno-arterial, and 10 (3.8%) veno-venous arterial or veno-arterial venous configurations. Two hundred ten (79%) cannulations were performed at our institution at the referring hospital. Sixty-four percent of patients transported while receiving ECMO survived to hospital discharge.

Interfacility transport during ECMO was shown to be safe and effective with minimal complications and favorable outcomes when performed at an experienced referral center using stringently applied protocols.