Clinical and epidemiological profile of pediatric patients undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: experience at a referral center

Abstract

Objective:  to analyze the clinical-epidemiological profile of pediatric patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support at a referral center. Method:  this was a cross-sectional, retrospective study based on the analysis of 108 electronic and physical medical records of pediatric patients from a public hospital. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected using an instrument developed for this study. For the analysis, absolute and percentage frequencies, measures of central tendency and dispersion, Shapiro-Wilk normality test, Pearson’s chi-square test, logistic regression model with Stepwise input, multiple linear regression analysis, and Durbin-Watson test were used. Results:  of the documents analyzed, 55.5% belonged to female patients. Regarding clinical outcomes, 76.1% were awaiting surgery before cannulation, 69.3% used vasoactive drugs, and 57.4% died. Central venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was the most used modality. The main indication for support was low cardiac output syndrome. Patients who developed mechanical complications during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation had a statistically higher risk of death (odds ratio of 2.8). Conclusion:  mechanical complications were associated with an increased risk of mortality. The clinical-epidemiological profile highlights clinical severity, characterized by hemodynamic instability and surgical indication.