Table 1.

Comparison of ECMO episodes with and without bleeding events

Variable	All episodes (n = 149)	No bleeding (n = 60)	Bleeding (n = 89)	P
Age (year ± SD)	46.5 ± 14.9	44.5 ± 15.1	47.8 ± 14.7	0.18
Male sex	92 (62 %)	38 (63 %)	54 (61 %)	0.74
Weight (kg ± SD)	80.7 ± 22	80.7 ± 22	80.7 ± 22	1.00
APACHE III score ± SD	77.3 ± 33.6	70.1 ± 30	82.1 ± 35.2	0.03
Comorbidities
Immunosuppressed	34 (23 %)	8 (14 %)	26 (29 %)	0.027
Hepatic failure	3 (2 %)	2 (3 %)	1 (1 %)	0.34
Cirrhosis liver disease	2 (1.3 %)	0 (0 %)	2 (2 %)	0.25
Insulin dependent diabetes	7 (5 %)	3 (5 %)	4 (5 %)	0.87
Chronic respiratory failure	23 (16 %)	4 (7 %)	19 (21 %)	0.018
Chronic cardiovascular disease	38 (26 %)	14 (24 %)	24 (27 %)	0.66
Chronic renal failure	2 (1.3 %)	0 (0 %)	2 (2 %)	0.25
Indications for ECMO
Acute cardiomyopathy	20 (13 %)	12 (20 %)	8 (9 %)	0.05
AMI	28 (19 %)	9 (15 %)	19 (21 %)	0.33
Chronic cardiomyopathy	14 (9 %)	8 (13 %)	6 (7 %)	0.18
Heart transplant	16 (11 %)	4 (7 %)	12 (13 %)	0.19
Lung transplant	15 (10 %)	3 (5 %)	12 (13 %)	0.09
Pneumonia	27 (18 %)	16 (27 %)	11 (12 %)	0.03
Post CAGS or valve surgery	9 (6 %)	1 (2 %)	8 (9 %)	0.07
Other	20 (13 %)	7 (12 %)	13 (15 %)	0.61
Post-surgical ECMO	39 (26 %)	4 (7 %)	35 (39 %)	<0.001
Transplantation prior	33 (22 %)	8 (13 %)	25 (28 %)	0.033
Cardiac arrest before	39 (26 %)	14 (23 %)	25 (28 %)	0.52
Medication prior ECMO
Aspirin	35 (24 %)	13 (22 %)	22 (26 %)	0.59
Clopidogrel	17 (12 %)	5 (8 %)	12 (14 %)	0.32
Warfarin	16 (11 %)	4 (7 %)	12 (14 %)	0.16
ECMO started in another hospital	40 (27 %)	20 (33 %)	20 (22 %)	0.14
ECMO type
VA ECMO	111 (74 %)	40 (67 %)	71 (80 %)	0.07
VV ECMO	38 (26 %)	20 (33 %)	18 (20 %)	0.07
Days on support, median [IQR]	7 [5–11]	6 [5–10]	8 [5–12]	0.09
Centre Alfred Hospital	128 (86 %)	52 (87 %)	76 (85 %)	0.83
RRT at any time	60 (43 %)	18 (31 %)	42 (51 %)	0.02
MV at any time	145 (97 %)	57 (95 %)	88 (99 %)	0.15
SOFA score prior ECMO median [IQR]
Total	10 [7–13]	9 [7–12]	11 [9–14]	0.01
SOFA respiratory	3 [2–4]	3 [2– 4]	3 [1–4]	0.95
SOFA coagulation	0 [0–1]	0 [0–1]	1 [0–2]	0.17
SOFA liver	0 [0–2]	0 [0–1]	1 [0–2]	0.02
SOFA cardiovascular	4 [4–4]	4 [3–4]	4 [4–4]	0.02
SOFA neurology	1 [0–2]	0 [0–1]	1 [0–3]	0.02
SOFA renal	1 [0–3]	1 [0– 2]	1 [0–3]	0.21
Blood product use during ECMO
Median RBC unit (IQR)	6 [2–14]	2 [0.5–4]	12 [6–19]	<0.01
Median PLT doses (IQR)	1 [0–3]	0 [0–1]	2 [0–5]	<0.01
Median FFP unit (IQR)	2 [0–6]	0 [0–1]	5 [1–10]	<0.01
Median cryoprecipitate (IQR)	0 [0–0]	0 [0–0]	0 [0–1]	<0.01
Other adverse events
Ischaemic stroke	4 (2.7 %)	1 (2 %)	3 (3 %)	0.53
Membrane change	16 (11 %)	6 (10 %)	10 (11 %)	0.81
Limb ischaemia any stage	11 (7 %)	2 (3 %)	9 (10 %)	0.12
Outcomes
Weaned off ECMO	95 (64 %)	42 (70 %)	53 (60 %)	0.19
Never weaned	36 (24 %)	10 (17 %)	26 (29 %)	0.08
Bridge to other assistance	18 (12 %)	8 (13 %)	10 (11 %)	0.70
Median (IQR) ICU LOS (days)	17 [9–28]	13.5 [8–23]	16 [9–28]	0.18
Median (IQR) hospital LOS (days)	36.5 [15–56]	27.5 [13.5–36.5]	36.5 [15–56]	0.04
ICU status, alive	101 (68 %)	45 (75 %)	56 (63 %)	0.12
Hospital status, alive	99 (66 %)	45 (75 %)	54 (61 %)	0.07
Discharge home	65 (66 %)	33 (55 %)	32 (36 %)	0.02

Data presented as n (%) categorical variables and median (interquartile range) for nonparametric variables

“Post-surgical ECMO” includes any surgery (CAGS and other)

ECMO extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, APACHE III score Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation III score, AMI acute myocardial infarction, CAGS coronary artery graft surgery, VA ECMO veno-arterial ECMO, VV ECMO veno-venous ECMO, RRT renal replacement therapy, MV mechanical ventilation, SOFA Sequential Organ Failure Assessment, RBC red blood cell unit, FFP fresh frozen plasma, PLT platelets bag, ICU intensive care unit, LOS length of stay