Mechanical circulatory support in patients with cardiogenic shock not secondary to cardiotomy: a network meta-analysis

To compare the efficacy and safety of different mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices in CS. A total of 24 studies (7 randomized controlled trials—RCTs—and 17 non-RCTs) involving 11,117 patients were entered in a Bayesian network meta-analysis. The primary endpoint was 30-day mortality. Secondary endpoints were stroke and bleeding (requiring transfusion and/or intracranial and/or fatal). Compared with no MCS, extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) reduced 30-day mortality when used both alone (OR 0.37, 95% CrI 0.15–0.90) and together with the micro-axial pump Impella (OR 0.13, 95% CrI 0.02–0.80) or intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) (OR 0.19, 95% CrI 0.05–0.63), although the relevant articles were affected by significant publication bias. Consistent results were obtained in a sensitivity analysis including only studies of CS due to myocardial infarction. After halving the weight of studies with a non-RCT design, only the benefit of ECMO + IABP on 30-day mortality was maintained (OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.057–0.76). The risk of bleeding was increased by TandemHeart (OR 13, 95% CrI 3.50–59), Impella (OR 5, 95% CrI 1.60–18), and IABP (OR 2.2, 95% CrI 1.10–4.4). No significant differences were found across MCS strategies regarding stroke. Although limited by important quality issues, the studies performed so far indicate that ECMO, especially if combined with Impella or IABP, reduces short-term mortality in CS. MCS increases the hazard of bleeding. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10741-021-10092-y.