Outcomes of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Pediatric Trauma Patients

IMPORTANCE: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is associated with high mortality and morbidity. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is one of the interventions that have been in practice for ARDS for decades. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to investigate the outcomes of ECMO in pediatric trauma patients who suffered from ARDS. DESIGN: Observational cohort study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: The Trauma Quality Improvement Program database for years 2017 to 2019 and 2021 through 2022 was accessed for the study. All children younger than 18 years old who were admitted to the hospital after trauma and suffered from ARDS were included in the study. Other variables included in the study were patients’ demographics, clinical characteristics, Injury Severity Score (ISS), Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, comorbidities, and outcomes. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: ECMO is the exposure, and the outcomes are in-hospital mortality and hospital complications (acute kidney injury AKI, pneumonia and deep vein thrombosis DVT). RESULTS: Of 453 patients who qualified for the study, propensity score matching found 50 pairs of patients. There were no significant differences identified between the groups, ECMO+ vs. ECMO– on patients’ age in years (16 yr; interquartile range IQR, 13.25–17 yr vs. 16 yr 14.25–17 yr), race (White; 62.0% vs. 66.0%), sex (male; 78% vs. 76%), ISS (23 IQR, 9.25–34 vs. 22 9.25–32), and GCS (15 IQR, 3–15 vs. 13.5 3–15), mechanism of injury; and comorbidities. There was no difference between the groups, ECMO+ vs. ECMO–, in-hospital mortality (10.0% vs. 20.0%; p = 0.302), hospital complications (AKI 12.0% vs. 2.0%; p = 0.131), pneumonia (10.0% vs. 20.0%; p = 0.182 > ), and DVT (16% vs. 6%; p = 0.228). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: No difference in mortality was observed in injured children who suffered from the ARDS and were placed on ECMO when compared with patients who were not placed on ECMO. Patients with trauma and ARDS who require ECMO have comparable outcomes to those who do not receive ECMO. A larger sample size study is needed to find the exact benefit of ECMO in this patients’ cohort.