Observational Cohort Study of a National Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Service for Adults With Respiratory Failure: the NHS ECMO Study.

Recent randomised and observational studies suggest there may be a role for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in patients with severe acute respiratory failure that have not responded to conventional measures.

In 2011, NHS England commissioned a national service to provide ECMO for severe respiratory failure at six centres across the country. Patients with severe respiratory failure are referred to the network if conventional measures are unsuccessful, and if accepted are transferred to an ECMO centre for specialist care. The criteria for admission is at the discretion of clinicians at each centre.

The NHS ECMO registry has been created by cross-referencing data submitted to the Extracorporeal Life Support Organisation (ELSO) in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with a tracker document identifying patients treated within the network. Analysis has been undertaken from December 2018 to March 2019.

Inclusion criteria

• Ultimately at the discretion of the clinician at the relevant ECMO centre
• Aged ≥16 years
• Severe acute respiratory failure refractory to conventional management
• No contra-indication to ongoing ECMO therapy

Exclusion criteria

• Any contra-indication to ongoing ECMO therapy
• Need for ECMO due to other aetiology than acute respiratory failure (e.g. bridge to transplantation, extracorporeal CPR, isolated acute cardiac failure)