Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been proven to be a support method and technology for patients with cardiopulmonary failure. However, the transport of patients under ECMO support is challenging given the high-risk technical maneuvers and patient-care concerns involved. Herein, we examined the safety of ECMO during the transport of critically ill patients and its impact on mortality rates, to provide more secure and effective transport strategies in clinical practice.

To assess the safety of ECMO patient transport, this study conducted a retrospective analysis on critically ill adults who required ECMO support and transport at the intensive care unit (ICU) center between 2017 and 2023. The study utilized standard ECMO transport protocols and conducted a comprehensive statistical analysis of the collected clinical data and transport processes. The 28-day survival rate for ECMO patients was determined using Kaplan-Meier analysis, while logistic regression identified prognostic factors.

Out of 303 patients supported with ECMO, 111 (36.6%) were transported. 69.4% of the transport group were male, mean age was (42.0±17.0) years, mean body mass index was (24.4±4.6) kg/m2, and veno-arterial-ECMO accounted for 52.5%. The median transportation distance was 190 (interquartile range [IQR]: 70-260) km, and the longest distance was 8100 km. The median transit time was 180 (IQR: 100-260) min, and the maximum duration was 1720 min. No severe adverse events including death or mechanical failure occurred during transportation. The 28-day survival rate was 64.7% (n=196) and ICU survival rate was 56.1% (n=170) for the entire cohort; whereas, the 28-day survival rate was 72.1% (n=80) and ICU survival rate was 66.7% (n=74) in the transport group. A non-significant difference in 28-day survival was observed between the two groups after propensity score matching (P=0.56). Additionally, we found that acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II score (odds ratio [OR]=1.06, P <0.01), lactate levels (>5 mmol/L, OR=2.80, P=0.01), and renal replacement therapy initiation (OR=3.03, P <0.01) were associated with increased mortality risk.

Transporting patients on ECMO between medical facilities is a safe procedure that does not increase patient mortality rates, provided it is orchestrated and executed by proficient transport teams. The prognostic outcome for these patients is predominantly influenced by their pre-existing medical conditions or by complications that may develop during the course of ECMO therapy. These results form the basis for the creation of specialized ECMO network hubs within healthcare regions.

To facilitate the implementation of controlled donation after circulatory death (cDCD) programs even in hospitals not equipped with a local Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) team (Spokes), some countries and Italian Regions have launched a local cDCD network with a ECMO mobile team who move from Hub hospitals to Spokes for normothermic regional perfusion (NRP) implantation in the setting of a cDCD pathway. While ECMO teams have been clearly defined by the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization, regarding composition, responsibilities and training programs, no clear, widely accepted indications are to date available for NRP teams. Although existing NRP mobile networks were developed due to the urgent need to increase the number of cDCDs, there is now the necessity for transplantation medicine to identify the peculiarities and responsibility of a NRP team for all those centers launching a cDCD pathway. Thus, in the present manuscript we summarized the characteristics of an ECMO mobile team, highlighting similarities and differences with the NRP mobile team. We also assessed existing evidence on NRP teams with the goal of identifying the characteristic and essential features of an NRP mobile team for a cDCD program, especially for those centers who are starting the program. Differences were identified between the mobile ECMO team and NRP mobile team. The common essential feature for both mobile teams is high skills and experience to reduce complications and, in the case of cDCD, to reduce the total warm ischemic time. Dedicated training programs should be developed for the launch of de novo NRP teams.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been proven to support in lifesaving rescue therapy. The best outcomes can be achieved in high-volume ECMO centers with dedicated emergency transport teams.

The aim of this study was to analyze the safety of ECMO support during medical transfer on the basis of our experience developed on innovation cooperation and review of literature.

A retrospective analysis of our experience of all ECMO-supported patients transferred from regional hospital of the referential ECMO center between 2015 and 2020 was carried out. Special attention was paid to transportation-related mortality and morbidity. Moreover, a systematic review of the Medline, Embase, Cochrane, and Google Scholar databases was performed. It included the original papers published before the end of 2019.

Twelve (5 women and 7 men) critically ill ECMO-supported patients with the median age of 33 years (2-63 years) were transferred to our ECMO center. In 92% (n = 11) of the cases venovenous and in 1 case, venoarterial supports were applied. The median transfer length was 45 km (5-200). There was no mortality during transfer and no serious adverse events occurred. Of note, the first ECMO-supported transfer had been proceeded by high-fidelity simulations. For our systematic review, 68 articles were found and 22 of them satisfied the search criteria. A total number of 2647 transfers were reported, mainly primary (90%) and as ground transportations (91.6%). A rate of adverse events ranged from 1% through 20% but notably only major complications were mentioned. The 4 deaths occurred during transport (mortality 0.15%).

Our experiences and literature review showed that transportation for ECMO patients done by experienced staff was associated with low mortality rate but life-threatening adverse events might occur. Translational simulation is an excellent probing technique to improve transportation safety.

We provide a step-by-step description of the insertion of a dual-lumen cannula, for venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support and how a close monitoring by combined transthoracic and transesophageal techniques ensures a safe procedure and can promptly detect complications.

Patients undergoing venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) require highly trained specialists and resources to be cared for safely. Interestingly, comparisons of outcomes for patients cannulated for VA-ECMO by outside institutions and transferred to referral centers for further care versus those cannulated and taken care of in house at the referral center have not been reported on a large scale. This study aimed to perform the first comparison of these 2 populations based on the experience of a single quaternary referral center.

A retrospective chart review-based study in a single quaternary care center of patients cannulated by referring institutions for VA-ECMO then transferred versus patients who were cannulated in house was performed to assess for a difference in survival (both of ECMO therapy and survival to discharge).

Single quaternary academic referral center for ECMO.

All patients undergoing VA-ECMO who were at least 18 years old from 2011-2018 (266 patients).

None.

The study comprised 215 patients cannulated for VA-ECMO in house and 51 patients cannulated by 17 different outside institutions then transferred. Survival of the ECMO run for in-house patients (122/215) was 56.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 50.1-63.3), and survival of transferred patients (31/51) for the ECMO run was 60.8% (95% CI 47.4-74.2; p = 0.58). Survival to discharge in patients cannulated in house (82/215) was 38.1% (95% CI 31.6-44.6) and for outside hospital transfers (24/51 patients) was 47.1% (95% CI 33.4-60.8; p = 0.23).

This retrospective chart review of 266 patients found no difference in survival of the ECMO therapy or survival to discharge in patients cannulated by other institutions and transferred versus those who were cannulated in house. Even though analysis on the feasibility of transfer centers has been performed extensively in patients with respiratory failure requiring venovenous ECMO, minimal investigation has been performed in patients requiring VA-ECMO. These results should be considered hypothesis-generating because larger sample sizes are necessary to guide care of these patients more definitively.

Beyond retrieval and management of patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome, an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) center also encompasses several other actions, such as on-call consultations, advice, and counseling, to the physicians at the peripheral centers, but few data are available on this topic. Therefore, the authors describe the composite activities of retrieval and counseling of an ECMO center since 2014.

The referral calls addressed to the authors' ECMO center for patients with respiratory failure were prospectively recorded in a dedicated database. Referral call frequency, patient data, and results of the calls were analyzed.

The 12-bed intensive care unit of Careggi Hospital in Florence, the ECMO referral center for Tuscany, and the center of Italy, with a mobile ECMO team.

Patients from intensive care units of peripheral hospitals for whom a referral call was addressed to the authors' ECMO center.

Many possible responses were given after a referral call, varying from ECMO team deployment to advice or to refusal.

From January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2017, 231 calls were received at the authors' ECMO center, of which 220 calls were for acute respiratory failure cases. Throughout the study period the overall number of calls did not vary, but the percentage of ECMO retrievals decreased, whereas the percentage of ARF patients from peripheral hospital admitted to our ECMO center on conventional ventilation increased. Fifty-five patients were treated by the mobile ECMO team and were transferred on ECMO; 59 were admitted on ventilatory support. In flu periods the overall calls were more frequent than in the no-flu periods (171 v 82 calls), and more ECMO retrieval missions were deployed.

During the study period, a decreased number of patients retrieved on ECMO was observed, whereas patients transferred on ventilation increased, with an overall unchanged number of referred patients.

To date, there is no agreement on the timing to perform a physical session in patients on veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO). We aimed to assess whether early physiotherapy (within the first week from ECMO start) could affect in-ICU mortality.

Our retrospective observational study included 101 adults supported on VV ECMO from 2009 to 2016, consecutively admitted at our ECMO referral Center in Florence (Italy). Clinical data right before ECMO start were collected for all patients. The level of mobilization using the ICU mobility scale was recorded on the first session and at discharge.

Early physiotherapy (within the first week) was more frequently initiated in patients with lower BMI (P=0.013) and it was associated with lower duration of ECMO support (P=0.03), mechanical ventilation (P=0.001) and length of stay (P=0.001). In-ICU mortality was not different between the two subgroups.

In patients on VV-ECMO support, physiotherapy is feasible and safe and that early physiotherapy, initiated within the first week from ECMO start, is associated with shorter duration of ECMO support and ICU length of stay.

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in severe ARDS unresponsive to conventional protective ventilation is associated with elevated costs, resource and complications, and appropriate risk stratification of candidate patients could be useful to recognize those more likely to benefit from ECMO. We aimed to derive a new outcome prediction score for patients retrieved by our ECMO team from peripheral centers, including systematic echocardiographic evaluation before ECMO start.

Sixty-nine consecutive patients with refractory ARDS requiring ECMO transferred from peripheral centers to our ICU (a tertiary ECMO referral center), from 1 October 2009 to 31 December 2015, were assessed.

All patients were transported on ECMO (distance, median 77, range 4-456 km) The mortality rate was 41% (28/69). Our new risk score included age ≥ 42 years, BMI < 31 kg/m² , RV dilatation, and pH < 7.35. The proposed cut off (Youden's index method) of nine had a sensitivity of 96% and a specificity of 30% (AUC-ROC: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.76-0.94, P < 0.001). When assessing the discriminatory ability of our risk score in the population of local patients, survivors had a mean value of 15.4 ± 8.6, whereas non-survivors showed a mean value of 20.1 ± 7.4 (P < 0.001).

Our new risk score shows good discriminatory ability both in patients retrieved from peripheral centers and in those implanted at our center. This score includes variables easily available at bedside, and, for the first time, a pathophysiologic element, RV dilatation.