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COVID-19 Pulmonary Failure and Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: First Experience from Three European

Charles Abraham Yankah1,2, Richard Trimlett3, Elena Sandoval4

  • 1Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Deutsches Herzzentrum Berlin/Charité, Berlin, Germany.

The Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeon
|November 13, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) is a vital life-support for severe COVID-19 respiratory failure. Expert centers report good outcomes, validating VV-ECMO as a critical treatment during the pandemic.

Area of Science:

  • Intensive Care Medicine
  • Cardiopulmonary Support
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Severe acute respiratory failure is a critical complication of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
  • Venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) offers advanced life support for respiratory failure unresponsive to conventional ventilation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To share experiences and outcomes of VV-ECMO treatment for COVID-19 patients with severe respiratory failure.
  • To evaluate the effectiveness and outcomes of VV-ECMO in expert centers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Main Methods:

  • A webinar was conducted on April 17, 2020, with international experts from specialized respiratory ECMO centers.
  • Data from 42 patients with severe COVID-19 requiring VV-ECMO were discussed, focusing on demographics, ventilation, ECMO duration, and outcomes.

Main Results:

  • Patients were predominantly male (3:1 ratio), with a mean age of 51 years.
  • VV-ECMO was used in 30% of ventilated COVID-19 patients, with a mean ECMO duration of 10.6 days.
  • Hospital mortality was 25.6% at the time of the webinar, with 17 patients decannulated and 6 deaths.

Conclusions:

  • VV-ECMO provided by expert centers is a recognized and validated advanced life-support modality for COVID-19.
  • The study highlights good outcomes associated with VV-ECMO in managing severe COVID-19-related respiratory failure.

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