Does a Mobile ECLS Program Reduce Mortality for Patients Transported for ECLS Therapy for Severe Acute Respiratory Failure?

Objective: To understand if mobile extracorporeal membrane oxygenation reduces patient mortality during and after transport of patients requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for acute respiratory distress syndrome. Design: Retrospective chart review. Setting: University affiliated tertiary care hospitals. Participants: Seventy-seven patients. Interventions: Introduction of a mobile extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) program designed to facilitate the implementation of ECMO at outside hospitals in patients too unstable for transport for ECMO. Measurements and Main Results: The 28-day in-hospital mortality was significantly lower in the post-mobile group (12/51 [23.5%] v 12/24 [50%], adjusted risk difference: 28.6%, [95% CI 4.7-52.5, p = 0.011]). Conclusions: These findings suggest that patients with severe acute respiratory failure who require transport to a referral center for extracorporeal life support may benefit from the availability of a mobile extracorporeal life support team.