Outcomes of pediatric oncology and hematopoietic cell transplant patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Critical Care Utilization in Children With Cancer: U.S. Pediatric Health Information System Database Cohort 2012-2021

OBJECTIVES

To determine changes in pediatric oncology hospitalizations requiring intensive care over the period 2012-2021.

DESIGN

Retrospective study of hospital admission.

SETTING

Registry data from 36 children's hospitals in the U.S. Pediatric Health Information Systems database.

PATIENTS

Children 18 years or younger admitted to any of 36 hospitals with an oncology diagnosis.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

There were a total of 55,827 unique patients accounted for 281,221 pediatric oncology hospitalizations over the 10-year period, and 16.6% of hospitalizations included admission to the PICU. Hospitalizations and PICU admissions steadily increased over this decade. Between 2012 and 2016, 15.1% of oncology hospitalizations were admitted to the PICU compared with 18.0% from 2017 to 2021 (difference 2.9% [95% CI, 2.6-3.2%] p ≤ 0.0001). Support with invasive mechanical ventilation also increased over time with 3.7% during 2012-2016 compared with 4.1% from 2017 to 2021 (difference 0.4% [95% CI, 0.2-0.5%] p ≤ 0.0001). Similar results were seen with cardiorespiratory life support using extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (difference 0.05% [95% CI, 0.02-0.07%] p = 0.0002), multiple vasoactive agent use (difference 0.3% [95% CI, 0.2-0.4%] p < 0.0001), central line placement (difference 5.3% [95% CI, 5.1-5.6%], p < 0.001), and arterial line placement (difference 0.4% [95% CI, 0.3-0.4%], p < 0.001). Year-on-year case fatality rate was unchanged over time (1.3%), but admission to the PICU during the second 5 years, compared with the first 5 years, was associated with lower odds of mortality (difference 0.7% [95% CI, 0.3-1.1%]) (odds ratio 0.82 [95% CI, 0.75-0.90%] p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The percentage of pediatric oncology hospitalizations resulting in PICU admission has increased over the past 10 years. Despite the increasing use of PICU admission and markers of acuity, and on comparing 2017-2021 with 2012-2016, there are lower odds of mortality.

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Then and Now; Broadening Indications and Availability

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a life support technology provided to children to support respiratory failure, cardiac failure, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation after failure of conventional management. Over the decades, ECMO has expanded in use, advanced in technology, shifted from experimental to a standard of care, and evidence supporting its use has increased. The expanded ECMO indications and medical complexity of children have also necessitated focused studies in the ethical domain such as decisional authority, resource allocation, and equitable access.

The Use of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation as a Bridge to Bone Marrow Transplantation in a Patient With High-risk Acute Myeloid Leukemia

An 18-year-old girl with high-risk acute myeloid leukemia developed Streptococcus mitis septic shock and multiorgan dysfunction syndrome, including biventricular failure. Due to the anticipated reversibility of her cardiogenic shock, her young age, and her favorable survival chance after an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant, she was placed on full circulatory support with venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as a bridge to her successful hematopoietic stem cell transplantation 2 months later. This highlights the importance of prognostication in patient selection for extracorporeal life support. A multidisciplinary approach is essential to each case until more definite initiation criteria, risk stratification, and treatment protocols are established.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in patients with hematologic malignancies: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Hematological malignancies (HM) have been, until recently, viewed as contraindications to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) due to bleeding and infectious complications. However, conflicting literature regarding whether ECMO should be used for patients with HM still exists. We conducted a random effects meta-analysis to investigate the outcomes of patients with HM on ECMO. We searched Medline, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane through 10 October 2021. Risk of bias and certainty of evidence were assessed using the JBI checklists and GRADE approach respectively. Thirteen observational studies (422 patients with HM, 9778 controls without HM) were included. The pooled in-hospital mortality for patients with HM and those with hematopoietic stem cell transplants for HM indications needing ECMO were 79.1% (95%CI: 70.2-86.9%) and 87.7% (95%CI: 80.4-93.8%), respectively. Subgroup analyses found that mortality was higher in adults than children (85.1% vs 67.9%, p_interaction = 0.003), and in Asia compared to North America and Europe (93.8% vs 69.6%, p_interaction < 0.001). Pooled ECMO duration was 10.0 days (95%CI: 7.5-12.5); pooled ICU and hospital lengths of stay were 19.8 days (95%CI: 12.4-27.3) and 43.9 days (95%CI: 29.4-58.4) respectively. Age (regression coefficient [B]: 0.008, 95%CI: 0.003-0.014), proportion of males (B: 1.799, 95%CI: 0.079-3.519), and ECMO duration (B: - 0.022, 95%CI: - 0.043 to - 0.001) were significantly associated with higher mortality. In-hospital mortality of patients with HM who needed ECMO was 79.1%, with better outcomes in children, and in North America and Europe. ECMO should not be regarded as routine support therapy in these patients but can be carefully considered on a case-by-case basis.

Outcome of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Pediatric Patients With Neoplasm: An Extracorporeal Life Support Organization Database Study (2000-2019)

OBJECTIVES

This study update in usage and outcomes of pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for patients with neoplasm analyzed according to demographics, clinical variables, and complications.

DESIGN

Retrospective database review of the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization registry from the last 2 decades (2000-2019). The data were divided between two decades in order to compare patients' backgrounds and outcomes over time.

SETTING

ECMO centers reporting to Extracorporeal Life Support Organization.

PATIENTS

Patients equal to or younger than 18 years old with International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision and International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision codes that referred to neoplasms who were managed with ECMO.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Demographics, cancer subtype, clinical variables, and ECMO complications were assessed in relation to the primary study outcome of survival to hospital discharge. Nine-hundred two patients met inclusion criteria; 699 patients were in the latest decade, which is more than three times the number from the previous decade (203 patients). On univariate analysis, compared with the previous decade, in the later decade, ECMO was more frequently applied in patients with pre-ECMO cardiac arrest (31.3% vs 17.1%; p < 0.001), and/or lower oxygenation index (38.0 vs 48.1; p < 0.001). We failed to identify a difference in survival between the 2 decades (42.8% vs 37.9%; p = 0.218). On multivariable analysis, diagnosis of hematologic malignancy, post-cardiopulmonary resuscitation support type, hematopoietic stem cell transplant, and age older than seven were each associated with greater odds of mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of ECMO in children with neoplasm has expanded over the latest decade with changes in patient selection. Mortality remains unchanged. Hence, although the clinician still should stay cautious in its application, ECMO can be considered as an option to rescue pediatric oncologic patients in the setting of worsening cardiopulmonary status in the PICU.

Candidacy for Extracorporeal Life Support in Children After Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: A Position Paper From the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury and Sepsis Investigators Network's Hematopoietic Cell Transplant and Cancer Immunotherapy Subgroup

OBJECTIVES

The last decade has seen improved outcomes for children requiring extracorporeal life support as well as for children undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation. Thus, given the historically poor survival of hematopoietic cell transplantation patients using extracorporeal life support, the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury and Sepsis Investigators' hematopoietic cell transplantation and cancer immunotherapy subgroup aimed to characterize the utility of extracorporeal life support in facilitating recovery from critical cardiorespiratory illnesses in pediatric hematopoietic cell transplantation patients.

DATA SOURCES

All available published data were identified using a set of PubMed search terms for pediatric extracorporeal life support and hematopoietic cell transplantation.

STUDY SELECTION

All articles that provided original reports of pediatric hematopoietic cell transplantation patients who underwent extracorporeal life support were included. Sixty-four manuscripts met search criteria. Twenty-four were included as primary reports of pediatric hematopoietic cell transplantation patients who underwent extracorporeal life support (11 were single case reports, four single institution case series, two multi-institution case series, and seven registry reports from Extracorporeal Life Support Organization, Pediatric Heath Information System, and Virtual Pediatric Systems).

DATA EXTRACTION

All 24 articles were reviewed by first and last authors and a spread sheet was constructed including sample size, potential biases, and conclusions.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Discussions regarding incorporation of available evidence into our clinical practice were held at biannual meetings, as well as through email and virtual meetings. An expert consensus was determined through these discussions and confirmed through a modified Delphi process.

CONCLUSIONS

Extracorporeal life support in hematopoietic cell transplantation patients is being used with increasing frequency and potentially improving survival. The Pediatric Acute Lung Injury and Sepsis Investigators hematopoietic cell transplantation-cancer immunotherapy subgroup has developed a framework to guide physicians in decision-making surrounding extracorporeal life support candidacy in pediatric hematopoietic cell transplantation patients. In addition to standard extracorporeal life support considerations, candidacy in the hematopoietic cell transplantation population should consider the following six factors in order of consensus agreement: 1) patient comorbidities; 2) underlying disease necessitating hematopoietic cell transplantation; 3) hematopoietic cell transplantation toxicities, 4) family and patient desires for goals of care; 5) hematopoietic cell transplantation preparatory regimen; and 6) graft characteristics. Although risk assessment may be individualized, data are currently insufficient to clearly delineate ideal candidacy. Therefore, we urge the onco-critical care community to collaborate and capture data to provide better evidence to guide physicians' decision-making in the future.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in children receiving haematopoietic cell transplantation and immune effector cell therapy: an international and multidisciplinary consensus statement

Use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in children receiving haematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and immune effector cell therapy is controversial and evidence-based guidelines have not been established. Remarkable advancements in HCT and immune effector cell therapies have changed expectations around reversibility of organ dysfunction and survival for affected patients. Herein, members of the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO), Pediatric Acute Lung Injury and Sepsis Investigators (PALISI) Network (HCT and cancer immunotherapy subgroup), the Pediatric Diseases Working Party of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), the supportive care committee of the Pediatric Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Consortium (PTCTC), and the Pediatric Intensive Care Oncology Kids in Europe Research (POKER) group of the European Society of Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care (ESPNIC) provide consensus recommendations on the use of ECMO in children receiving HCT and immune effector cell therapy. These are the first international, multidisciplinary consensus-based recommendations on the use of ECMO in this patient population. This Review provides a clinical decision support tool for paediatric haematologists, oncologists, and critical care physicians during the difficult decision-making process of ECMO candidacy and management. These recommendations can represent a base for future research studies focused on ECMO selection criteria and bedside management.

Role of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in pediatric cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

Background

The use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in pediatric patients with underlying malignancies remains controversial. However, in an era in which the survival rates for children with malignancies have increased significantly and several recent reports have demonstrated effective ECMO use in children with cancer, we aimed to estimate the outcome and complications of ECMO treatment in these children.

Methods

We searched MEDLINE, Embase and CINAHL databases for studies on the use ECMO in pediatric patients with an underlying malignancy from inception to September 2020. This review was conducted in adherence to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis statement. Study eligibility was independently assessed by two authors and disagreements resolved by a third author. Included studies were evaluated for quality using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS). Random effects meta-analyses (DerSimonian and Laird) were performed. The primary outcomes were mortality during ECMO or hospital mortality.

Results

Thirteen retrospective, observational cohort studies were included, most of moderate quality (625 patients). The commonest indication for ECMO was severe respiratory failure (92%). Pooled mortality during ECMO was 55% (95% confidence interval [CI], 47–63%) and pooled hospital mortality was 60% (95% CI 54–67%). Although heterogeneity among the included studies was low, confidence intervals were large. In addition, the majority of the data were derived from registries with overlapping patients which were excluded for the meta-analyses to prevent resampling of the same participants across the included studies. Finally, there was a lack of consistent complications reporting among the studies.

Conclusion

Significantly higher mortalities than in general PICU patients was reported with the use of ECMO in children with malignancies. Although these results need to be interpreted with caution due to the lack of granular data, they suggest that ECMO appears to represents a viable rescue option for selected patients with underlying malignancies. There is an urgent need for additional data to define patients for whom ECMO may provide benefit or harm.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13613-022-00983-0.

Pulmonary Complications of Pediatric Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation. A National Institutes of Health Workshop Summary

Approximately 2,500 pediatric hematopoietic cell transplants (HCTs), most of which are allogeneic, are performed annually in the United States for life-threatening malignant and nonmalignant conditions. Although HCT is undertaken with curative intent, post-HCT complications limit successful outcomes, with pulmonary dysfunction representing the leading cause of nonrelapse mortality. To better understand, predict, prevent, and/or treat pulmonary complications after HCT, a multidisciplinary group of 33 experts met in a 2-day National Institutes of Health Workshop to identify knowledge gaps and research strategies most likely to improve outcomes. This summary of Workshop deliberations outlines the consensus focus areas for future research.

Mortality Trends of Oncology and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Patients Supported on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

There is an increasing frequency of oncology and hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) patients seen in the intensive care unit and requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), however, prognosis of this population over time is unclear.

METHODS

MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane and Web of Science were searched from earliest publication until April 10, 2020 for studies to determine the mortality trend over time in oncology and HSCT patients requiring ECMO. Primary outcome was hospital mortality. Random-effects meta-analysis model was used to obtain pooled estimates of mortality and 95% confidence intervals. A priori subgroup metanalysis compared adult versus pediatric, oncology versus HSCT, hematological malignancy versus solid tumor, allogeneic versus autologous HSCT, and veno-arterial versus veno-venous ECMO populations. Multivariable meta-regression was also performed for hospital mortality to account for year of study and HSCT population.

RESULTS

17 eligible observational studies (n = 1109 patients) were included. Overall pooled hospital mortality was 72% (95% CI: 65, 78). In the subgroup analysis, only HSCT was associated with a higher hospital mortality compared to oncology subgroup [84% (95% CI: 70, 93) vs. 66% (95% CI: 56, 74); P = 0.021]. Meta-regression showed that HSCT was associated with increased mortality [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 3.84 (95% CI 1.77, 8.31)], however, mortality improved with time [aOR 0.92 (95% CI: 0.85, 0.99) with each advancing year].

CONCLUSION

This study reports a high overall hospital mortality in oncology and HSCT patients on ECMO which improved over time. The presence of HSCT portends almost a 4-fold increased risk of mortality and this finding may need to be taken into consideration during patient selection for ECMO.

Veno-Venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Children With Cancer or Hematopoietic Cell Transplant: A Ten Center Cohort

We performed a multicenter retrospective cohort study of children with 14 days to 18 years of age in the United States from 2011 to 2016 with cancer or hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) who were supported with veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-V ECMO). We compared the outcomes of children with oncological diagnoses or HCT supported with V-V ECMO to other children who have received V-V ECMO support. In this cohort of 204 patients supported with V-V ECMO, 30 (15%) had a diagnosis of cancer or a history of HCT. There were 21 patients who had oncological diagnoses without HCT and 9 children were post-HCT. The oncology/HCT group had a higher overall ICU mortality (67% vs. 28%, P < 0.001), mortality on ECMO (43% vs. 21%, P < 0.01), and ICU mortality among ECMO survivors (35% vs. 8%, P < 0.01). The oncology/HCT group had a higher rate of conversion to veno-arterial (V-A) ECMO (23% vs. 9%, P = 0.02) (RR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.1-5.6). Children with cancer or HCT were older (6.6 vs. 2.9 years, P = 0.02) and had higher creatinine levels (0.65 vs. 0.4 mg/dL, P = 0.04) but were similar to the rest of the cohort for other pre-ECMO variables. For post-HCT patients, survival was significantly worse for those whose indication for HCT was cancer or immunodeficiency (0/6) as compared to other nonmalignant indications (3/3) (P = 0.01).