TY - JOUR
AR - SCR-2021-8-118
TI - ECMO Cannulation Criteria in COVID-19 (ECC-VID) and Obesity: A Literature  Review and Retrospective Cohort Analysis
AU - Brian, Hassani
AU - Christina, Creel-Bulos
AU - Michael, Connor
AU - Mark, Caridi-Schieble
AU - Casey, Miller
AU - Mani, Danesmand
AU - Jeffrey, Javidfar
JO - Surgical Case Reports
PY - 2021
DA - Wed 25, Aug 2021
SN - 2613-5965
DO - http://dx.doi.org/10.31487/j.SCR.2021.08.18
UR - https://www.sciencerepository.org/ecmo-cannulation-criteria-in-covid-19_SCR-2021-8-118 
KW - (MESH) adult, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, COVID-19, obesity, critical care, acute respiratory distress syndrome
AB - Veno-Venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (V-V ECMO) continues to be used as rescue therapy 
for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) secondary to coronavirus disease 2019 
(COVID-19). Although there is emerging literature on the use of and mortality associated with V-V ECMO 
in the management of patients with COVID-19, our understanding of who may benefit from this 
management strategy remains limited. Our clinicians sought to provide further insight into pre-cannulation 
characteristics and mortality in a cohort of patients with COVID-19 associated ARDS managed with V-V 
ECMO that primarily consisted of obese patients (90%, n=18) with a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or greater. Our 
findings not only revealed high survival to hospital discharge (70%, n=14) but demonstrated non-inferior 
outcomes and survival in obese patients. With an imminent next wave of rising infections, knowledge of 
which patients have a better chance of survival with the initiation of V-V ECMO is essential. Obese patients 
have been historically underrepresented in ECMO outcomes literature, but our findings suggest the 
utilization of ECMO for COVID-19 associated ARDS in these patient subsets should be considered and 
outcomes should be further explored.