Risk factors and outcomes for patients with bleeding complications receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: An analysis of the Chinese Extracorporeal Life Support Registry

Objective Bleeding is a severe complication of patients supported with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). This study aimed to analyze the occurrence, risk factors, and clinical outcomes of patients on ECMO with bleeding complications. Methods ECMO cases reported to the multicenter ECMO registry database of the Chinese Society of Extracorporeal Life Support (CSECLS) from January 2017 to December 2020 were enrolled. General information, ECMO indications, application, complications, and patient outcomes were collected and analyzed. Results A total of 6541 ECMO patients from 112 centers were enrolled. Overall, 1185 patients (18.1%) presented with one of the following bleeding complications, including 82 cases (1.3%) with severe bleeding during ECMO catheterization, 462 cases (7.1%) with bleeding at the ECMO cannulation site, 200 cases (3.5%) with bleeding at the surgical site, 180 cases (2.8%) with cerebral hemorrhage, 99 cases (1.5%) with pulmonary hemorrhage, 200 cases (3.5%) with gastrointestinal hemorrhage, 82 cases (1.3%) with ECMO withdrawal, and 118 (1.8%) deaths due to severe bleeding. Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) patients had the highest incidence of bleeding complications (22.4%), followed by those on circulatory support (18.7%) and respiratory support (15.4%) (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that pediatric patients (odds ratio [OR] 1.509, p < 0.001), patients receiving renal replacement therapy (OR 1.932, p < 0.001), and patients receiving central ECMO cannulation (OR 3.023, p < 0.001) were independent risk factors for all bleeding complications, while peripheral cannulation (OR 0.712, p < 0.001) was an independent protective factor. Patients with any bleeding complication had significantly higher in-hospital mortality than patients without (61.9% vs. 46.3%, p < 0.001). Conclusion Up to 18.1% of ECMO patients in the CSECLS registry experienced bleeding complications, which was associated with higher in-hospital mortality, especially in patients who received ECPR, patients on circulatory support, and pediatric patients, which should arouse the attention of clinicians.