LAUSR

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) on in-hospital survival and prognosis of adult patients with fulminant myocarditis. METHODS The registration materials of 21 patients with fulminant myocarditis supported by veno-arterial ECMO (VA-ECMO) from March 2019 to January 2022 in the Heart Center of the First Hospital of Lanzhou University were selected from the Chinese Society for Extracorporeal Life Support (CSECLS) Registry Database. The clinical baseline data, laboratory and echocardiographic data, VA-ECMO related parameters, complications and in-hospital outcome were recorded. The main end events of follow-up were death and readmission due to heart failure. RESULTS (1) The median age of 21 patients was (42.7±16.4) years, there were 12 males (57.1%) and 9 females (42.9%), and 16 patients (76.2%) survived in hospital and 5 patients (23.8%) died in hospital. (2) Compared with the survival group, patients in the death group had a higher proportion of invasive ventilator support and continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) [3/16 (18.8%) vs. 4/5 (80.0%), 3/16 (18.8%) vs. 4/5 (80.0%)], and a lower survival after VA-ECMO score (SAVE) [score: -5.0 (-5.0, -3.0) vs. 1.0 (-6.0, 5.0)], the serum creatinine (SCr) level was higher during VA-ECMO support [μmol/L: 248.0 (144.0, 447.0) vs. 83.0 (71.7, 110.9)], the platelet count (PLT) level was lower [×109/L: 60.0 (31.5, 96.5) vs. 100.0 (71.0, 139.3)], and the ECMO initial support flow rate was higher (L/min: 3.2±0.7 vs. 2.6±0.4). All the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). (3) The echocardiography indexes of the survival group were significantly improved at discharge compared with those at admission [left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF, %): 54.0±6.7 vs. 30.0±7.2], left ventricular end-diastolic volume [(LVESV, mL): 55.7±27.5 vs. 85.9±28.7], cardiac index [(CI, L×min-1×m-2): 2.6±0.4 vs. 1.9±0.6], cardiac output [(CO, L/min): 4.5±0.7 vs. 3.2±0.9]. All the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). (4) The median follow-up time of the 16 survivial patients was 9 (2, 14) months. During the follow-up period, 5 patients (31.3%) were readmitted to the hospital due to heart failure (1 case of cardiogenic death). The average ECMO support duration of the 5 patients who readmitted to the hospital due to heart failure was significantly shorter than that of the 11 patients without heart failure [hours: 82.0 (47.0, 99.0) vs. 116.0 (98.0, 156.0), Z = -2.381, P = 0.017]. CONCLUSIONS On the basis of immunomodulatory and other treatments, early application of VA-ECMO in adult patients with fulminant myocarditis can significantly improve in-hospital survival rate and cardiac function. Heart failure after discharge may be related to short VA-ECMO support time during hospitalization.