Quality of life and functional status of patients treated with venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation at 6 months

Purpose: Quality of life (QoL) outcomes of patients treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) have been conflicting. This study reports on QoL outcomes for a broad group of ARDS patients managed with up-to-date treatment modalities. Methods: We prospectively recruited patients at a quaternary hospital in the United Kingdom from 2013 to 2015 who were treated with ECMO for ARDS. We evaluated their pulmonary function and QoL at 6-months after ad -mission using three QoL instruments: EuroQoL 5D (EQ-5), HADS, and PTSS-14. Results: Forty-three patients included in the analysis had near-normal pulmonary function at 6 months. HADS showed moderate-to-severe anxiety and depression in 32% and 11% of patients, respectively. PTSS-14 showed 29% had signs of post-traumatic stress disorder. EQ-5D showed that 67% of patients had difficulty returning to usual activities, 74% suffered some pain, none reported severe problems and 77% were able to return to work. No clinical or demographic variables were associated with poor 6-month QoL. Conclusions: Patients with ARDS treated with ECMO generally had good QoL outcomes, similar to outcomes re -ported for patients managed without ECMO. With respect to QoL, VV-EMCO represents a valid treatment modal -ity for patients with refractory ARDS. (c) 2021 Published by Elsevier Inc.

Automated summary

The study investigated the quality of life outcomes of ARDS patients treated with ECMO at 6 months. The majority of patients had near-normal pulmonary function and good quality of life, but a considerable proportion experienced anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms. A significant number of patients faced challenges in returning to usual activities, experiencing pain, and returning to work.