Demographics and Outcomes of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in COVID-19 Patients: National Database Analysis.

The effectiveness of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in treating COVID-19 patients has been variable. To gain a better insight, we examined the outcomes of ECMO in COVID-19 patients using data from the 2020 National Inpatient Sample database. We analyzed data from adult hospital admissions where COVID-19 was the primary diagnosis. The primary outcome was all-cause inpatient mortality. Secondary outcomes were length of stay (LOS), cost, and discharge disposition. We identified 1,048,025 COVID-19 admissions, of which 98,528 were on mechanical ventilation (MV), and only 1.8% received ECMO. In-hospital mortality of mechanically ventilated patients who received ECMO was 49%, compared to 59% with no ECMO ( ECMO treatment may offer survival benefits in severe COVID-19. Based on our findings, we suggest early ECMO treatment for patients with a high mortality risk.