Nutritional Support in Postcardiotomy Shock Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Patients: A Prospective, Observational Study

Background: Despite the 6000 patients treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) annually, there is a paucity of data regarding the nutritional management of these patients.

Materials and methods: We performed a prospective, observational study of nutrition in postcardiotomy shock patients at our institution. Over a 3.5-year study period, we identified 50 ECMO patients and 225 non-ECMO patients. We identified type, amount, duration, and disruption of nutritional delivery by cohort. The primary outcome was percent of caloric goal met, and secondary outcome was gastrointestinal complications.

Results: ECMO patients met less of their caloric (29% versus 40%, P = 0.017) and protein goals (34% versus 55%, P < 0.001) compared with non-ECMO patients. Tube feeds were administered more slowly (26 versus 37 mL/h, P < 0.001) and held for longer (8.3 versus 4.5 h/d, P < 0.001) in ECMO patients because of procedures (60%) and high-dose pressors (20% versus 7%, P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that ECMO decreased caloric intake by 14%, with no detected increased risk of gastrointestinal complications.

Conclusions: -ECMO patients received significantly less nutrition support compared with a non-ECMO population. Tube feed hold deficits could potentially be avoided by utilizing postpyloric tubes to feed through procedures, by eliminating holds for vasopressors/inotropes in hemodynamically stable patients, or by establishing volume-based feeding protocols. Further clinical studies are needed to establish efficacy of these interventions and to understand the impact of nutrition on outcomes in ECMO patients.