Table 6.

High clinical significance complications.

High clinical significance = 7 complications/402 cannulations (1.7% complication rate per cannulation) 7 complications/194 cannulation episodes (3.6% complication rate per cannulation episode) Involving 7 cannulation episodes and 7 patients
Complication	Number of events	Type of ECMO	Additional details
Failure to cannulate (n = 2)	1	V-A	Converted to central cannulation
	1	ECMO-CPR	Failure to cannulate artery, resuscitation ceased
Incorrect vessels cannulated (n = 4)	1	ECMO-CPR	Incorrect vessels cannulated, existing angio sheaths misidentified. Vascular surgical repair
	1	ECMO-CPR	Incorrect vessel cannulated (post-thrombolysis), surgical cannulation and ECMO initiation achieved, however patient later became unsupportable and died
	1	ECMO-CPR	Return cannula in SFA, required vascular repair and fasciotomy (this patient also had a ‘low clinical significance’ complication of >2 attempts at access)
	1	ECMO-CPR	Backflow cannula in vein leading to ischaemic leg requiring fasciotomy (this patient also had a ‘low clinical significance’ complication of >2 attempts at access)
Ischaemic limb (n = 1)	1	ECMO-CPR	Ischaemic leg (fulminant COVID myocarditis)