OBJECTIVETo analyze the reason and treatment of the complications of 61 cases of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in order to improve survival rate of ECMO treatment.

METHODSECMO records from January 2007 to December 2014 in Shanghai Chest Hospital were investigated retrospectively focusing on complications. There were included 43 male and 18 female patients, age 3 to 66 years. Indications for ECMO included post-operative low cardiac output, viral myocarditis, bridge to heart transplantation, acute respiratory distress syndrome and myocardial infarction. There were 49 cases of veno-arterial ECMO and 12 cases of veno-venous ECMO.

RESULTSECMO duration was 2 to 61 days. Among 43 patients, 37 patients weaned from ECMO successfully and 28 survived to discharge. Various complications occurred to 56 patients, including oxygenator plasma leakage(4 case times), circuit emboli (7), hemolysis (4), bleeding (34), infection (8), acute kidney injury (35), lower limb ischemia (8) and neurologic complications (6). There were 49 cases times of complications in survivors, while 61 cases times in death group. Bleeding (10 time cases) and acute kidney injury (33 time cases) happened in the death group. Progresses in ECMO technique had influences on complications in some parts. For instance, incidence of lower limb ischemia was 6/7 in cutdown cannulating group, but reduced to 2/42(4.8%) when semi-open technique was applied.

CONCLUSIONSComplications in ECMO are relative to patients' outcome intimately. Appropriate prevention and treatment of complication play a major role in the success of ECMO support. The incidences of certain complications reduce significantly due to progresses of equipment and medical experiences.