Clinical impact of screening computed tomography in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND: Data on the prevalence and clinical impact of extrapulmonary findings at screening computed tomography (CT) on initiation of veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-V ECMO) are limited. We aimed to identify the prevalence of extrapulmonary findings on screening CT following V-V ECMO initiation. We hypothesized that extrapulmonary findings would influence clinical management and outcome. METHODS: Retrospective analysis (2011–2021) of admission screening CT including head, abdomen and pelvis with contrast of consecutive patients on initiation of V-V ECMO. CT findings identified by the attending consultant radiologist were extracted. Demographics, admission physiological and laboratory data, clinical decision-making following CT and ECMO ICU mortality were recorded from the electronic medical record. We used multivariable logistic regression and Kaplan–Meier curves to evaluate associations between extrapulmonary findings and ECMO ICU mortality. RESULTS: Of the 833 patients receiving V-V ECMO, 761 underwent routine admission CT (91.4%). ECMO ICU length of stay was 19 days (IQR 12–23); ICU mortality at the ECMO centre was 18.9%. An incidental extrapulmonary finding was reported in 227 patients (29.8%), leading to an invasive procedure in 12/227 cases (5.3%) and a change in medical management (mainly in anticoagulation strategy) in 119/227 (52.4%). Extrapulmonary findings associated with mortality were intracranial haemorrhage (OR 2.34 (95% CI 1.31–4.12), cerebral infarction (OR 3.59 (95% CI 1.26–9.86) and colitis (OR 2.80 (95% CI 1.35–5.67). CONCLUSIONS: Screening CT frequently identifies extrapulmonary findings of clinical significance. Newly detected intracranial haemorrhage, cerebral infarction and colitis were associated with increased ICU mortality. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13613-023-01187-w.