Table 5 Comparison of clinical characteristics of ECMO centres with high- and low volume ECMO use.

Number of all patients

39

110

Number of ECMO patients (%)

22 (56.41%)

28 (25.46%)

0.0004*

Age all patients, years (median)

64

68

0.1002

Age ECMO patients, years (median)

59

58

0.7484

Male sex all patients (%)

84.62%

56.36%

0.0015*

Male sex ECMO patients (%)

90.90%

60.71%

0.0152*

Mortality—all patients

28 (71.79%)

80 (72.73%)

0.9115

Mortality—ECMO patients

20 (90.91%)

20 (71.43%)

0.0907

ECMO treatment before COVID pandemic

Yes

Yes

Center or staff experience (years)

30 y

6–25 y

Cytokine adsorption therapy

41%

18.18%

0.0040*

Days on ECMO support

9.28 ± 11.64

6.12 ± 14.44

0.2183

SOFA Score at ECMO initiation

12.44

10.64

0.0073*

RESP-Score¹ at ECMO initiation

-1.1

0.4

0.0146*

PRESET Score² at ECMO initiation

8.09

7.81

0.6845

Complications during ECMO support

73%

57%

0.2635

ECMO circuit change

36%

25%

0.3944

Intravasal haemolysis

9%

14%

0.5838

Clogged circuit requiring change

5%

7%

0.7081

Repeat ECMO after decannulation

0%

0%

–

Severe thrombocytopenia

0%

4%

0.3809

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia

0%

14%

0.0667

Massive haemorrhage

55%

46%

0.5780

Stroke

27%

4%

0.0217*

Cannula infection

5%

0%

0.2635

Pulmonary embolism

9%

11%

0.8531

Cardiac arrest

14%

18%

0.6934

Tracheostomy

55%

46%

0.5780

Pneumothorax

27%

14%

0.2635

Ventilator-associated pneumonia

91%

79%

0.2462

Bacteremia

73%

79%

0.6393

Other organ complications of ECMO patients

 Renal failure

68.18%

64.29%

0.7783

 Liver failure

9.09%

25.00%

0.1521

 Pneumonia

90.91%

85.71%

0.5838

 Sepsis

77.27%

92.86%

0.1196

 SIRS

77.27%

92.86%

0.1196

 Reintubation#

4.55%

3.57%

0.8649

 Pleural effusion

13.64%

39.29%

0.0460*

Laboratory results at ECMO initiation

 Leucocytes (/nl)

19.9 ± 11.85

17.77 ± 6.6

0.5119

 Lymphocytes (/nl)

0.84 ± 0.8

1.6 ± 0.47

0.0347*

 Thrombocytes (/nl)

207.64 ± 95.38

212.46 ± 43

0.8717

 Hemoglobin (g/dl)

11.37 ± 1.7

9.99 ± 6.4

0.0178*

 D Dimer

2.47 ± 1.27

9.95 ± 2.65

0.2282

 CRP

27.15 ± 28.48

19.41 ± 0.18

0.2301

 Creatinine

1.7 ± 1.5

1.14 ± 0.33

0.0906

 Procalcitonine

8.14 ± 13.02

2.89 ± 0.08

0.1215

 Bilirubine

1.27 ± 0.69

0.98 ± 0.3

0.2225

 pH

7.27 ± 0.18

7.35 ± 7.14

0.0599

 pCO2 in mmHg

50.27 ± 9.55

53.04 ± 33.8

0.4234

 pO2 in mmHg

72.73 ± 26.09

77.28 ± 54.2

0.4849

 sO2

92.23 ± 5.02

92.61 ± 79.6

0.7874

 HCO3 mmol/l

22.56 ± 9.56

26.73 ± 12.2

0.0608

 Base excess (mmol/l)

(−) 2.95 ± 12.32

2.79 ± (-15.6)

0.0417*

 Potassium (mmol/l)

5.25 ± 1.04

4.76 ± 3.5

0.0813

 Sodium (mmol/l)

139.91 ± 3.96

144.27 ± 134

0.0014*

 Calcium (mmol/l)

1.03 ± 0.15

1.18 ± 0.91

0.0003*

 Chloride (mmol/l)

106.95 ± 2.82

109.86 ± 104

0.0299*

 Glucose (mg/dl)

188.05 ± 85.55

202.08 ± 117

0.5093

 Lactate (mmol/l)

3.15 ± 4.43

3.28 ± 1

0.9179

Resource use of ECMO patients

 Transfusion

90.91%

96.43%

0.4250

 Transfusion with EC

90.91%

96.43%

0.4250

 Transfusion with TC

45.45%

32.14%

0.3459

 Transfusion with FFP

4.55%

35.71%

0.0075*

 EC per patient

9.64 ± 6.38

14.14 ± 14.96

0.1932

 TC per patient

1.86 ± 2.55

1.21 ± 3.36

0.4559

 FFP per patient

0.05 ± 0.21

6.18 ± 12.99

0.0320*