Effect of Initiation of Veno-venous ECMO on Urine Output and Acute Kidney Injury (VENTURI)

Effect of Ultraprotective Ventilation After Veno-venous ECMO Initiation on Urine Output and Acute Kidney Injury (VENTURI) - a Retrospective Single Center Study

With this study, the investigators want to find out whether the use of a "lung machine" (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)) togethet with giving the lungs "rest" (by minimizing ventilary support) in people with severe pneumonia has an effect on how well the kidneys work.

The investigators will use information that was already collected while patients were staying in the intensive care unit. Patients do not need to do anything additional or undergo any additional procedures for this study.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Acute Kidney Injury; ECMO; ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome)

Detailed Description

Some people with severe pneumonia need to be admitted to the intensive care unit. In very serious cases, the lungs may work so poorly that breathing without help is no longer possible. These patients then receive support from a breathing machine (a ventilator). Sometimes even this support is not enough, and a special machine is needed to temporarily take over the function of the lungs. This machine is called a "lung machine" (also known as ECMO).

When a patient is connected to this lung machine, the patient's own lungs are exposed to as little pressure and stimulation as possible. This is called "lung rest" and gives the lungs time to heal.

In people who are very ill, such as those with severe pneumonia, other organs can also be affected. The kidneys, which are important for making urine and removing waste products from the body, may suddenly stop working as well as they should. This study will examine whether using the lung machine and lung rest affects how the kidneys work.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 76

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Belgium
  • Ghent, Belgium, 9000
    • Ghent University Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Adult patients admitted on the ICU of Ghent Univesity Hospital with acute respiratory distress who received support by veno-venous ECMO between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2023

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 18 years or older
• Admission to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Ghent University Hospital
• Treatment with veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV- ECMO)
• ICU admission between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2023

Exclusion Criteria:

• Receipt of renal replacement therapy (RRT) prior to ICU admission
• Patients already receiving VV-ECMO at the time of admission to the ICU of Ghent University Hospital (i.e., patients referred from another hospital on VV-ECMO)
• Patients who received VV-ECMO immediately upon admission to the ICU of Ghent University Hospital

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Difference in urine output (staged by KDIGO criteria) 6h before and after start veno-venous ECMO and ultraprotective ventilation	The difference in urine output will be investigated before and after start of veno-venous ECMO together with the initiation of ultraprotective ventilation. To compare the difference in urine output a timeframe of 6 hours before ECMO wil be compared to a timeframe six hours after ECMO initiation. The 6 hour timeframe was choosen because this is the duration of the AKI KDIGO stage 1 urine output criterium.	6 hours

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Difference in urine output (staged by KDIGO criteria) 12h before and after start veno-venous ECMO and ultraprotective ventilation.	The difference in urine output will be investigated before and after start of veno-venous ECMO together with the initiation of ultraprotective ventilation. To compare the difference in urine output a timeframe of 12 hours before ECMO will be compared to a 12 hour timeframe after ECMO initiation. The 12 hour timeframe was choosen because this is the duration of the AKI KDIGO stage 2 urine output criterium.	12 hours
Difference in urine output (staged by KDIGO criteria) 24h before and after start veno-venous ECMO and ultraprotective ventilation.	The difference in urine output will be investigated before and after start of veno-venous ECMO together with the initiation of ultraprotective ventilation. To compare the difference in urine output a timeframe of 24 hours before ECMO will be compared to a 24 hour timeframe after ECMO initiation. The 24 hour timeframe was choosen because this is the duration of the AKI KDIGO stage 3 urine output criterium.	24 hours
Difference in serum creatinine (staged by KDIGO criteria) 24h before and after start veno-venous ECMO and ultraprotective ventilation.	The difference in serum creatinine will be investigated before and after start of veno-venous ECMO together with the initiation of ultraprotective ventilation. To compare the difference in serum creatinine a timeframe of 24 hours before ECMO will be compared to a 24 hour timeframe after ECMO initiation. Acute kidney injuri and it severity will be defined by the KDIGO definition and classification.	24 hours

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University Hospital, Ghent

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): December 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 1, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): December 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 20, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 20, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): January 27, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): January 30, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 28, 2026
• Last Verified: January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: acute kidney injury; ARDS; ECMO
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Urogenital Diseases; Male Urogenital Diseases; Kidney Diseases; Urologic Diseases; Female Urogenital Diseases; Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Lung Diseases; Renal Insufficiency; Lung Injury; Acute Kidney Injury; Acute Lung Injury
• Other Study ID Numbers: ONZ-2025-0269

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Data of individuals will not be shared according to General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No