Skip to main content
. 2020 Dec 1;22(4):327–334. doi: 10.51893/2020.4.OA5

Table 2.

Patient data before starting cardiac extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), for the Princess Alexandra Hospital and the Gold Coast University Hospital combined

Cardiac ECMO
Total number of cases 27
Median age (range), years 52 (18–69)
Sex, male 19 (70%)
Median weight (range), kg 80 (45–150)
Median body mass index (range) 25.4 (15.0–45.3)
Acute cardiogenic shock diagnosis group (one or more per patient)
 Myocarditis 2 (7%)
 Refractory VT/VF 3 (11%)
 Post-heart or lung transplantation 0 (0%)
 Congenital heart disease 1 (4%)
 Other diagnoses 24 (89%)
  • Post-non-transplant cardiac surgery

10 (37%)
  • STEMI

6 (22%)
  • Pulmonary embolism

4 (15%)
  • Septic cardiomyopathy

3 (11%)
  • Thyrotoxic cardiomyopathy

3 (11%)
Acute pre-ECMO organ failures
 Liver failure 19 (70%)
 CNS dysfunction 2 (7%)
 Acute renal failure 14 (52%)
 Chronic renal failure 1 (4%)
Duration of intubation prior to ECMO, hours
 < 10 19 (70%)
 11–29 7 (26%)
 ≥ 30 1 (4%)
Peak inspiratory pressure ≤ 20* 4 (15%)
Pre-ECMO cardiac arrest 8 (30%)
Diastolic blood pressure ≥ 40* 15 (56%)
Pulse pressure ≤ 20* 14 (52%)
HCO3 before ECMO ≤ 15* 18 (67%)
SAVE risk class Predicted mortality (%) Number of patients
SAVE AH cohort
 I 25% 0% 0 (0%)
 II 42% 10% 1 (4%)
 III 58% 28% 7 (26%)
 IV 70% 37% 10 (37%)
 V 82% 94% 9 (33%)

AH = Alfred Hospital; CNS = central nervous system; HCO3 = bicarbonate; NO = nitric oxide; SAVE = Survival after Veno-arterial ECMO; STEMI = ST elevation myocardial infarction; VF = ventricular fibrillation; VT = ventricular tachycardia. All patients aged > 18 years treated with ECMO for cardiac failure.

*

Worst value in 6 hours before ECMO start time. Data collected using Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) rules in place when SAVE scores were developed. Two of the patients with refractory VT/VF had myocarditis and one had STEMI; one patient had STEMI after non-transplant cardiac surgery; one patient had non-transplant cardiac surgery for ventricular septal defect complicating STEMI.