Inadequate Energy Delivery Is Frequent among COVID-19 Patients Requiring ECMO Support and Associated with Increased ICU Mortality

Background: Patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support are at high risk for malnutrition. There are currently no general nutrition guidelines for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients during ECMO therapy. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of COVID-19 patients requiring venovenous ECMO support at a large tertiary hospital center. Nutrition goals were calculated using 25 kcal/kg body weight (BW)/day. Associations between nutrition support and outcome were evaluated using Kaplan–Meier and multivariable Cox regression analyses. Results: Overall, 102 patients accounted for a total of 2344 nutrition support days during ECMO therapy. On 40.6% of these days, nutrition goals were met. Undernutrition was found in 40.8%. Mean daily calorie delivery was 73.7% of calculated requirements, mean daily protein delivery was 0.7 g/kg BW/d. Mean energy intake of ≥70% of calculated targets was associated with significantly lower ICU mortality independently of age, disease severity at ECMO start and body mass index (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.372, p = 0.007). Conclusions: Patients with a mean energy delivery of ≥70% of calculated targets during ECMO therapy had a better ICU survival compared to patients with unmet energy goals. These results indicate that adequate nutritional support needs to be a major priority in the treatment of COVID-19 patients requiring ECMO support.