Risk factors and prognosis of nosocomial pneumonia in patients undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: a retrospective study

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to examine the risk factors and prognosis of nosocomial pneumonia (NP) during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data of patients who received ECMO at the Affiliated Hangzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between January 2013 and August 2019. The primary outcome was the survival-to-discharge rate. RESULTS: Sixty-nine patients who received ECMO were enrolled, median age 42 years and 26 (37.7%) women; 14 (20.3%) patients developed NP. The NP incidence was 24.7/1000 ECMO days. Patients with NP had a higher proportion receiving veno-venous (VV) ECMO (50% vs. 7.3%); longer ECMO support duration (276 vs. 140 hours), longer ventilator support duration before ECMO weaning (14.5 vs. 6 days), lower ECMO weaning success rate (50.0% vs. 81.8%), and lower survival-to-discharge rate (28.6% vs. 72.7%) than patients without NP. Multivariable analysis showed independent risk factors that predicted NP during ECMO were ventilator support duration before ECMO weaning (odds ratio [OR] = 1.288; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.111–1.494) and VV ECMO mode (OR = 10.970; 95% CI: 1.758–68.467). CONCLUSION: NP during ECMO was associated with ventilator support duration before ECMO weaning and VV ECMO mode. Clinicians should shorten the respiratory support duration for patients undergoing ECMO to prevent NP.