Conservative or Liberal Oxygen Targets in Patients on VA-ECMO

link.springer.com September 9, 2024

In adults receiving VA-ECMO in the ICU, a conservative compared to a liberal oxygen strategy did not affect the number of ICU-free days to day 28, nor any other measurable patient outcomes up to 6 months after ICU admission.

A conservative oxygen strategy resulted in more frequent protocol deviations.

In this registry-embedded, multicentre trial, we randomly assigned adult patients receiving VA-ECMO in an intensive care unit (ICU) to either a conservative (target SaO2 92–96%) or to a liberal oxygen strategy (target SaO2 97–100%) through controlled oxygen administration via the ventilator and ECMO gas blender.

The primary outcome was the number of ICU-free days to day 28.

Secondary outcomes included ICU-free days to day 60, mortality, ECMO and ventilation duration, ICU and hospital lengths of stay, and functional outcomes at 6 months.