The following is a summary of “Impact of obesity on outcomes of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support: a systematic review and meta-analysis,” published in the March 2024 issue of Pulmonology by Huang et al.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a crucial intervention when conventional treatments fail. Yet, its efficacy in patients with obesity poses unique challenges, such as limited flow due to body size, positioning complexities, and imaging challenges. This comprehensive meta-analysis aims to elucidate the influence of obesity on outcomes among individuals undergoing ECMO.
A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases yielded 345 studies, of which 18 met the inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis revealed that obesity showed no significant association with survival outcomes following ECMO (odds ratio [OR]: 0.91, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.70–1.17, p: 0.46). Additionally, no significant disparities were observed between obese and non-obese patients concerning ECMO procedure duration (standardized mean difference [SMD]: 0.07, -0.03–0.17), length of hospital stay (-0.03, -0.19 to 0.12), and duration of ventilation support (-0.10, -0.44 to 0.24).
In conclusion, the meta-analysis suggests that obesity does not significantly impact survival outcomes post-ECMO. Furthermore, it does not significantly influence the duration of ECMO procedures, hospitalization length, or ventilation support. These findings underscore the importance of considering ECMO as a viable therapeutic option in patients with obesity requiring critical care interventions.
Source: bmcpulmmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12890-024-02971-5