Archive | 2021
Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding in Adults Under Veno-Arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: A Single-Center Retrospective Study
Abstract
\n Objective. Upper gastrointestinal bleeding is a common complication in adults treated with veno-arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (VA-ECMO) for refractory cardiogenic shock or cardiac arrest. We aimed to determine risk factors, prevalence and outcomes associated with upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) in adult patients under VA-ECMO.Design. We conducted a retrospective cohort study (2014-2017) on consecutive VA-ECMO patients.Setting. Medical and Infectious Disease intensive care unit of university hospital Bichat-Claude Bernard in Paris, France.Patients. UGIB was defined as 1) an overt bleeding (hematemesis, melena, hematochezia), or 2) acute anemia associated with a lesion diagnosed on upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Cause-specific models were used to identify factors associated with UGIB and death, respectively.Measurements and Main Results. 257 patients were included, of whom 48 (19%) were diagnosed with UGIB after a median of 18 [7; 43] days following cannulation; median SAPS II was 59 [43; 76]. 100 (39%) patients were implanted after cardiac surgery. Mortality occurred in 31 (65%) patients with UGIB and 121 (58%) patients without. UGIB patients had longer ICU stays (41 [19; 82] vs. 15 [6; 26]; p<.01), longer ECMO (10.5 [7; 15] vs 6 [3; 10]; p <.01) and mechanical ventilation durations (31 [18; 45] vs. 9 [5; 18]; p <.01) in days, as compared to non-UGIB patients. Ninety-nine upper gastrointestinal endoscopies (UGE) were performed and the most frequent lesions detected were gastro-duodenal ulcers (n=28, 28%), leading to 12/99 therapeutic procedures. Neither antiplatelet therapy prior to ICU admission nor a history of peptic ulcer were associated with UGIB in univariate analysis. By multivariate analysis (table), a BMI (body mass index) > 30 kg/m2 (Cause-specific hazard ratio (CSHR) [95% CI]): 3.06 [1.56; 5.98]), and extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) (CSHR 2.34 [1.03; 5.35]) were independently associated with an increased risk of UGIB. Conclusions. In adult patients under VA-ECMO, obesity and ECPR were independently associated with UGIB. This study highlights the potential role of obesity and acute ischemia reperfusion injury in the pathophysiology of VA-ECMO-associated UGIB.