Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for COVID-19 and influenza associated acute respiratory distress syndrome: a systematic review

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been used extensively for H1N1 influenza and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) to improve gas exchange and quickly correct hypoxemia and hypercapnia. This systematic review summarized the evidence on ECMO for the treatment of COVID-19 and influenza-associated ARDS. This is a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies to compare the efficacy and safety of ECMO with conventional mechanical ventilation in adults with COVID-19 and influenza-associated ARDS. The study performed a structured search on PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus and The Cochrane Library. The primary outcome was hospital mortality. The study included 15 observational studies with 5239 patients with COVID-19 and influenza-associated ARDS. The use of ECMO significantly reduced in-hospital mortality in COVID-19-associated ARDS (OR = 0.40; 95% CI = 0.27–0.58; <i>P</i> &lt; 0.00001) but did not reduce influenza-related mortality (OR = 1.08; 95% CI = 0.41–2.87; <i>P</i> = 0.87). Moreover, ECMO treatment meaningfully increased the incidence of bleeding complications (OR = 7.66; 95% CI = 2.47–23.72; <i>P</i> = 0.0004). The use of ECMO significantly reduced in-hospital mortality in COVID-19- associated ARDS, which may be related to the advances in ECMO-related techniques and the increased experience of clinicians. However, the incidence of bleeding complications remains high.