ECMO Therapy in Intensive Care Settings: A Global Perspective on Outcomes and Observational Practices – Examining Factors Associated With ECMO Survival
type: CreativeWork
description: Abstract Background: In Saudi Arabia, the use of extracorporeal life support has expanded since the COVID-19 pandemic; however, its use is linked with high mortality rate. Specifically, Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) is associated with an increased risk of mortality for patients with chronic conditions, and limited studies have examined the impact of comorbidities on patients’ survival. The Saudi Arabian healthcare system faces various challenges, including resource limitations, unequal allocation of healthcare personnel, and limited clinical data to guide patient selection criteria and the timing of venoarterial ECMO initiation. Purpose/Aims: Identify factors associated with survival among patients receiving ECMO in Saudi Arabia, to identify patients with likelihood of survival, and to inform patient selection criteria, prioritize care, and guide resource allocation. Methods: A retrospective, descriptive, correlational design, with patients who received ECMO therapy in an intensive care setting (N = 115) at a Specialist Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The inclusion criteria are patients admitted with a primary diagnosis requiring ECMO, patients over 18 years of age and admitted between January 2020 and May 2025. Exclusion criteria are patients under 18 years, pregnant women, and patients admitted outside the time frame. Results: A total of 115 patients were included in the analysis. The overall mortality rate was 63.5%. Mortality on ECMO was associated with comorbid connective tissue/ rheumatic disease with p = .047 and renal disease p = .015. ECMO-related complications (infection, renal dysfunction, neurological dysfunction), and time to ECMO initiation were also significantly associated with mortality, with p < .05. Regression analysis with ECMO-related complications (infection, renal, neurological) and time to ECMO initiation highlighted the multifactorial nature of ECMO-related mortality for this cohort, evidenced by the overall significance of th…
abstract: Abstract Background: In Saudi Arabia, the use of extracorporeal life support has expanded since the COVID-19 pandemic; however, its use is linked with high mortality rate. Specifically, Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) is associated with an increased risk of mortality for patients with chronic conditions, and limited studies have examined the impact of comorbidities on patients’ survival. The Saudi Arabian healthcare system faces various challenges, including resource limitations, unequal allocation of healthcare personnel, and limited clinical data to guide patient selection criteria and the timing of venoarterial ECMO initiation. Purpose/Aims: Identify factors associated with survival among patients receiving ECMO in Saudi Arabia, to identify patients with likelihood of survival, and to inform patient selection criteria, prioritize care, and guide resource allocation. Methods: A retrospective, descriptive, correlational design, with patients who received ECMO therapy in an intensive care setting (N = 115) at a Specialist Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The inclusion criteria are patients admitted with a primary diagnosis requiring ECMO, patients over 18 years of age and admitted between January 2020 and May 2025. Exclusion criteria are patients under 18 years, pregnant women, and patients admitted outside the time frame. Results: A total of 115 patients were included in the analysis. The overall mortality rate was 63.5%. Mortality on ECMO was associated with comorbid connective tissue/ rheumatic disease with p = .047 and renal disease p = .015. ECMO-related complications (infection, renal dysfunction, neurological dysfunction), and time to ECMO initiation were also significantly associated with mortality, with p < .05. Regression analysis with ECMO-related complications (infection, renal, neurological) and time to ECMO initiation highlighted the multifactorial nature of ECMO-related mortality for this cohort, evidenced by the overall significance of th…
author: Aldajani, Shuaa
keywords: ECMO-mortality, ECMO complications, time to initiation, Critical Care Nursing, Medicine and Health Sciences
date published: 2026-05-31T07:00:00Z
date modified: 2026-07-24T05:41:55Z
provider: University of San Diego
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of San Diego