Table 3.
| Complications | All patients on ECMO | VV ECMO Only | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open, 2703 (77.2) | Percutaneous, 798 (22.8) | p-value | Open, 975 (61.0) | Percutaneous, 624 (39.0) | p-value | |
| Mechanical Failure | 299 (11.1) | 67 (8.4) | 0.08 | 102 (10.5) | 48 (7.7) | 0.06 |
| Mechanical Failure secondary to blood clots | 784 (29.0) | 188 (23.6) | 0.02 | 282 (28.9) | 141 (22.6) | 0.003 |
| Mechanical: cannula problems | 436 (16.1) | 102 (12.8) | 0.07 | 184 (18.9) | 79 (12.7) | < 0.001 |
| Hemorrhagic: cannulation site bleeding | -- | -- | -- | 247 (25.3) | 126 (20.2) | 0.01 |
| Metabolic: pH < 7.20 | -- | -- | -- | 79 (8.1) | 72 (11.5) | 0.02 |
| Metabolic: pH > 7.60 | 98 (3.6) | 19 (2.4) | 0.13 | -- | -- | -- |
| Limb complication | 15 (0.6) | 10 (1.3) | 0.03 | 2 (0.2) | 5 (0.8) | 0.08 |
| Mortality (not discharged alive) | 203 (32.5) | 327 (33.5) | 0.68 | 327 (33.5) | 203 (32.5) | 0.68 |
| Neurologic: other (seizures, CNS infarction) | 409 (15.1) | 95 (11.9) | 0.07 | -- | -- | -- |
| Renal complication | 1262 (46.7) | 313 (39.2) | 0.005 | -- | -- | -- |
| Cannula site repair, n (%) | ||||||
| None | 1496 (55.3) | 477 (59.8) | 0.03 | 577 (59.2) | 401 (64.3) | 0.04 |
| Carotid artery | 66 (2.4) | 5 (0.6) | 0.001 | 1 (0.1) | 1 (0.2) | 0.75 |
| Jugular vein | 132 (4.9) | 48 (6.0) | 0.20 | 104 (10.7) | 46 (7.4) | 0.03 |
| Both carotid and jugular | 247 (9.1) | 47 (5.9) | 0.004 | 30 (3.1) | 15 (2.4) | 0.43 |
| Other | 170 (6.3) | 31 (3.9) | 0.01 | 50 (5.1) | 16 (2.6) | 0.01 |
a
Complications tested include: Mechanical failure from blood clots, from air in circuit, or cracks in pigtail connectors or cannula problems; Hemorrhagic problems including GI hemorrhage, cannula site, or surgical site bleeding or coagulopathy/DIC; Neurological problems including clinically determine drain death, seizures or CNS infarction or CNS hemorrhage; Cardiovascular complications or cardiac tamponade; pulmonary or infections complications; and metabolic derrangements including acidosis (pH < 7.20), alkalosis (pH > 7.60), hyper-/or hypoglycemia and hyperbilirubinemia. Complications excluded for p > 0.20 for difference between percutaneous and not-percutaneous approach
b
Patients with more than one complication counted per complication