• Yael Lichter, Amir Gal Oz, Uri Carmi, Asaph Nini, Dekel Stavi, and Noam Goder.
• Department of Anesthesia, Pain Management and Intensive Care, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel, Israeli ECMO Society, iECMOs, Israel, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
• Isr Med Assoc J. 2024 Oct 1; 26 (9): 540545540-545.

BackgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic posed significant challenges to healthcare systems worldwide, including a surge in the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).ObjectivesTo compare outcomes and costs of COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 adult patients treated with ECMO in the intensive care unit (ICU) at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective study. Clinical outcomes, ECMO duration, ICU and hospital length of stay (LOS), and healthcare costs were examined and compared between the two groups.ResultsA total of 119 patients were treated with ECMO between 2016 and 2023; 56 (47.1%) diagnosed with COVID-19. The study found no significant difference in mortality rates between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients. However, COVID-19 patients experienced significantly longer ECMO durations and ICU LOS. Hospitalization and ECMO operation costs were notably higher for COVID-19 patients, but overall admission costs were lower compared to non-COVID-19 patients, with cost of surgical interventions, consultations and imaging contributing to the price gap.ConclusionsDespite longer durations of ECMO and LOS, the economic burden of ECMO in COVID-19 patients was significantly lower than non-COVID-19 patients. Strict patient selection should be utilized, a fortiori during times of surge-capacity.

31 keywords...

hide…