Background: The COVID-19 pandemic markedly increased the number of patients with infection-related acute respiratory distress syndrome who required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and multiple blood transfusions. This study aimed to assess a potential correlation between the daily rate of transfused blood products and the intensive care unit (ICU) outcome of ECMO-supported COVID-19 patients. Methods: Data were retrieved from the electronic databases of three Israeli tertiary care centers. All COVID-19 patients treated with ECMO for >3 days in these centers between July 2020 and November 2021 were included in the analysis. Results: The study incorporated 106 patients [median age 49 (17-73) years]. The median numbers of ECMO days and daily transfused packed red blood cell (PRBC) units were 20.5 (4-240) and 0.61 (0-2.82), respectively. In multivariate analysis, age ≥50 years was an independent factor for ICU mortality [odds ratio (OR) 4.47). In ECMO-supported patients for <38 days, transfusion of ≥0.85 units/day was associated with higher ICU mortality compared to that observed in patients transfused with <0.85 PRBC units/day (OR = 5.43; p < 0.004). Transfusion of ≥0.5 units/day combined with ECMO support of ≥38 days (OR = 17.9; p < 0.001) conferred the highest mortality risk. Conclusions: Three-quarters of patients <50 years old and half of patients ≥50 years were successfully discharged from ICU. Higher daily transfusion rates were associated with significantly increased ICU mortality, irrespective of ECMO duration. Reduced blood transfusion may improve the survival of these patients. This approach could also contribute to the measures taken to address the challenges of blood shortages occurring during pandemics and other global or national emergencies.
Keywords: COVID-19; acute respiratory distress syndrome; extracorporeal membrane oxygenation; packed red blood cell transfusion.