Long-Term Health-Related Quality of Life After Venovenous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation

This study examined the long-term health-related quality of life in adult patients treated with venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-V ECMO) for severe acute respiratory failure in Ireland. A retrospective, cross-sectional survey was conducted to elicit self-reported quality of life in V-V ECMO survivors who were discharged from the intensive care unit for ≥6 months. Twenty-nine patients with respiratory failure were treated with V-V ECMO from 2009 to 2013. Of the 19 (66%) patients who survived to hospital discharge, 13 participated in the study. The mean age was 44 ± 11 years, and seven were male. At a median follow-up of 36 (14-39) months, study participants reported decreased indices of physical health compared with age- and sex-matched general population in Ireland while their mental health was similar to age- and sex-matched general population in Ireland. Fifty-four percent of participants had symptoms of anxiety, 15 percent had symptoms of depression, while 23 percent of participants were at risk of posttraumatic stress disorder. Sixty-seven percent of previously employed participants had returned to work. This study highlights the protracted nature of physical and psychologic recovery in patients surviving up to three years after V-V ECMO for severe acute respiratory failure.