Conservative or liberal oxygen targets in patients on venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Patients receiving venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) frequently develop arterial hyperoxaemia, which may be harmful. However, lower oxygen saturation targets may also lead to harmful episodes of hypoxaemia.

In this registry-embedded, multicentre trial, we randomly assigned adult patients receiving VA-ECMO in an intensive care unit (ICU) to either a conservative (target SaO₂ 92-96%) or to a liberal oxygen strategy (target SaO₂ 97-100%) through controlled oxygen administration via the ventilator and ECMO gas blender. The primary outcome was the number of ICU-free days to day 28. Secondary outcomes included ICU-free days to day 60, mortality, ECMO and ventilation duration, ICU and hospital lengths of stay, and functional outcomes at 6 months.

From September 2019 through June 2023, 934 patients who received VA-ECMO were reported to the EXCEL registry, of whom 300 (192 cardiogenic shock, 108 refractory cardiac arrest) were recruited. We randomised 149 to a conservative and 151 to a liberal oxygen strategy. The median number of ICU-free days to day 28 was similar in both groups (conservative: 0 days [interquartile range (IQR) 0-13.7] versus liberal: 0 days [IQR 0-13.7], median treatment effect: 0 days [95% confidence interval (CI) - 3.1 to 3.1]). Mortality at day 28 (59/159 [39.6%] vs 59/151 [39.1%]) and at day 60 (64/149 [43%] vs 62/151 [41.1%] were similar in conservative and liberal groups, as were all other secondary outcomes and adverse events. The conservative group experienced 44 (29.5%) major protocol deviations compared to 2 (1.3%) in the liberal oxygen group (P < 0.001).

In adults receiving VA-ECMO in ICU, a conservative compared to a liberal oxygen strategy, did not affect the number of ICU-free days to day 28.