Survival trends of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support for pediatric emergency patients in regional and metropolitan areas in Japan

Background To assess the performance of pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) centers, outcomes were compared between metropolitan and other areas. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted at three regional centers on Kyushu Island and the largest center in the Tokyo metropolitan area of Japan. The clinical outcomes of patients of ≤15 years of age who received ECMO during 2010–2019 were investigated, targeting the survival and performance at discharge from intensive care units (ICUs), using medical charts. Results One hundred and fifty-five patients were analyzed (regional, n=70; metropolitan, n=85). Survival rates at ICU discharge were similar between the two areas (64%). In regional centers, deterioration of Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category (PCPC) scores were more frequent (65.7% vs. 49.4%; p=0.042), but survival rates and ΔPCPC scores (PCPC at ICU discharge–PCPC before admission) improved in the second half of the study period (p=0.005 and p=0.046, respectively). Veno-arterial ECMO (odds ratio [OR], 3.00; p<0.03), extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (OR, 8.98; p<0.01), and absence of myocarditis (OR, 5.47; p<0.01) were independent risk factors for deterioration of the PCPC score. A sub-analysis of patients with acute myocarditis (n=51), the main indicator for ECMO, revealed a significantly higher proportion of cases with deteriorated PCPC scores in regional centers (51.9% vs. 25.0%; p=0.049). Conclusions The survival rates of pediatric patients supported by ECMO in regional centers were similar to those in a metropolitan center. However, neurological outcomes must be improved, particularly in patients with acute myocarditis.