Developing a veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation program during the COVID-19 pandemic: Don't forget to...

During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, there has been significant increased use of vvECMO as rescue therapy. Patients with COVID-19 as anticoagulation is needed for vvECMO support, may develop bleeding complications requiring an increased number of RBC transfusions. We would like to report the RBC transfusion needs following the implementation of an ECMO program. Data on blood usage in this population is important in view of the decline in donations due to the pandemic.

We analyzed data on RBC transfusions in patients who required vvECMO for COVID-19 related ARDS in a Belgian ICU from March 2020 to March 2022. The primary end point was RBC transfusion requirements. and the relationship to outcome. We also analyzed the evolution of this requirement during the four waves.

We admitted 538 patients for hypoxemic ARDS due to COVID-19. Sixty patients (11%) required vvECMO, of whom 27 (45%) died. Forty-seven (78%) of the vvECMO patients were transfused a total of 403 packed RBC units. Sites of hemorrhagic complications were ECMO cannulation sites and lungs. RBC transfusion per patient per day on vvECMO was 0.50 [0.30-0.67] units. There were no differences in hemorrhagic complications in vvECMO survivors and non-survivors. The percentage of vvECMO patients receiving a RBC transfusion increased slightly during the last COVID-19 wave, with 92 % of patients transfused.

vvECMO program is associated with a major need for RBC transfusions. These data are important when blood availability is decreased due to a pandemic and illustrates the need for studies on optimizing blood management including therapeutic anticoagulation target, threshold for RBC transfusion or alternatives to RBC transfusion.