Background: This study aims to describe the prevalence of neurologic complications and hospital outcome in adult post-cardiotomy
cardiogenic shock (PCS) patients receiving veno-arterial
extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-A ECMO) support and factors associated with such adverse events. Methods: Four hundred and fifteen adult patients underwent cardiac surgery and received V-A ECMO for more than 24 h because of PCS. Patients were divided into two groups: those who developed a neurological complication and those who did not (control group). Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify factors independently associated with neurologic complications. Results: Neurologic complications occurred in 87 patients (21.0%), including
cerebral infarction in 33 patients (8.0%),
brain death in 30 patients (7.2%),
seizures in 14 patients (3.4%), and
intracranial hemorrhage in 11 (2.7%) patients. In-hospital mortality in patients with neurologic complications was 90.8%, compared to 52.1% in control patients (p < 0.001). In a multivariable model, the lowest systolic blood pressure (SBP) level pre-ECMO (OR, 0.89; 95% CI: 0.86-0.93) and aortic surgery combined with
coronary artery bypass grafting (OR, 9.22; 95% CI: 2.10-40.55) were associated with overall neurologic complications. Age (OR, 1.06; 95% CI: 1.01-1.12) and lowest SBP (OR, 0.81; 95% CI: 0.76-0.87) were correlative factors of
brain death. Coagulation disorders (OR, 9.75; 95% CI: 1.83-51.89) and
atrial fibrillation (OR, 12.19; 95% CI: 1.22-121.61) were shown to be associated independently with
intracranial hemorrhage, whereas
atrial fibrillation (OR, 8.15; 95% CI: 1.31-50.62) was also associated with
cerebral infarction. Conclusions: Neurologic complications in adult PCS patients undergoing V-A ECMO support are frequent and associated with higher in-hospital mortality. Identified risk factors of neurologic complications might help to improve ECMO management and might reduce their occurrence.