Impact of an Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Intensivist-Led Multidisciplinary Team on Venovenous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Outcomes

OBJECTIVES: Venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is increasingly being established as a treatment option for severe acute respiratory failure. We sought to evaluate the impact of a dedicated specialist team-based approach on patient outcomes. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Single-center medical ICU in an academic tertiary hospital. PATIENTS: Adult patients initiated on venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for severe acute respiratory failure. INTERVENTIONS: Initiation of an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation intensivist-led multidisciplinary team; critical decisions on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation management were jointly made by a dedicated team of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation intensivists, together with the multidisciplinary team. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Eighty-one patients (75%) and 27 patients (35%) were initiated on venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in the preextracorporeal membrane oxygenation intensivist-led multidisciplinary team (before January 2018) and postextracorporeal membrane oxygenation intensivist-led multidisciplinary team period (after January 2018), respectively. Inhospital (14.8% vs 44.4%, p = 0.006) and ICU mortality (11.1% vs 40.7%, p = 0.005) were significantly lower in the postextracorporeal membrane oxygenation intensivist-led multidisciplinary team period. On multivariate analysis correcting for possible confounding factors (ICU severity and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation-specific mortality prediction scores, body mass index, preextracorporeal membrane oxygenation vasopressor support, preextracorporeal membrane oxygenation cardiac arrest, and days on mechanical ventilation before extracorporeal membrane oxygenation initiation), management by an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation intensivist-led multidisciplinary team remained associated with improved hospital survival (odds ratio, 5.06; 95% CI, 1.20–21.28). Patients in the postextracorporeal membrane oxygenation intensivist-led multidisciplinary team period had less nosocomial infections (18.5% vs 46.9%, p = 0.009), a shorter ICU stay (12 days [interquartile range, 6–16 d] vs 15 days [interquartile range, 10–24 d]; p = 0.049), and none suffered an intracranial hemorrhage or nonhemorrhagic stroke. CONCLUSIONS: An extracorporeal membrane oxygenation intensivist-led multidisciplinary team approach is associated with improved outcomes in patients initiated on venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for severe acute respiratory failure.