Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in severe traumatic brain injury: Is it safe?

BACKGROUND Patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) are at an increased risk of respiratory failure refractory to traditional therapies. The safety of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in this population remains unclear. We aimed to examine outcomes following ECMO compared with traditional management in severe TBI patients. METHODS We performed a retrospective cohort study using the Trauma Quality Improvement Program (2017–2020). We identified patients 18 years or older with severe TBI (Abbreviated Injury Score head, ≥3) who underwent ECMO or had either in-hospital cardiac or acute respiratory distress syndrome during their hospitalization. The study excluded pPatients who arrived without signs of life, had a prehospital cardiac arrest, had an unsurvivable injury, were transferred out within 48 hours of arrival, or were received as a transfer and died within 12 hours of arrival Patients with missing information regarding in-hospital mortality were also excluded. Outcomes included mortality, in-hospital complications, and intensive care unit length of stay. To account for patient and injury characteristics, we used 1:1 propensity matching. We performed a subgroup analysis among ECMO patients, comparing patients who received anticoagulants with those who did not. RESULTS We identified 10,065 patients, of whom 221 (2.2%) underwent ECMO. In the propensity-matched sample of 134 pairs, there was no difference in mortality. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was associated with a higher incidence of cerebrovascular accidents (9% vs. 1%, p = 0.006) and a lower incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia. In the subgroup analysis of 64 matched pairs, patients receiving anticoagulation had lower mortality, higher unplanned return to the operating room, and longer duration of ventilation and intensive care unit length of stay. CONCLUSION Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use in severe TBI patients was not associated with higher mortality and should be considered a potential intervention in this patient population. Systemic anticoagulation showed mortality benefit, but further work is required to elucidate the impact on neurological outcomes, and the appropriate dosing and timing of anticoagulation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic/Care Management; Level III.