The following is a summary of “Randomized Trial Of Routine Versus On-demand Intraoperative Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation In Lung Transplantation: A Feasibility Study,” published in the February 2024 issue of Cardiology by Nasir et al.
In many medical centers, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is the standard method for providing cardiopulmonary support during lung transplantation. However, a contentious debate persists regarding whether intraoperative venoarterial (VA) ECMO should be employed routinely or selectively.
To address this controversy, a randomized controlled trial is imperative. In this report, the study group delineates a feasibility study designed to evaluate the viability of a protocol comparing routine versus selective VA ECMO during lung transplantation. This prospective, single-center, randomized controlled trial screened all lung transplantation patients, excluding cases of retransplantation, multi-organ transplantation, and those mandating ECMO.
The study aimed to recruit 19 participants within six months, with protocol violations remaining under 10%. Upon completing the feasibility study, researchers affirm that the protocol demonstrates feasibility and safety, providing the groundwork for a multicenter trial with minimized risk of recruitment failure.
Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1053249824014967
