The Incidence and Risk Factors of Biliary Complications in Patients With ECMO

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is an important method for the management of severe refractory heart and lung dysfunction, and improvements in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation equipment and increased experience have made it possible to use it for a long time. However, complications following extracorporeal membrane oxygenation are very common, and mortality and morbidity are high. When extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is applied, gastrointestinal bleeding may occur due to stress, ischemia, or bleeding tendency, and direct secondary bilirubin elevation and gallstone formation may occur secondary to long-term fasting, total intravenous nutrition, hemolysis, and diuretics. In intensive care patients, acalculous cholecystitis can progress with multiple organ failure and is known to be associated with prolonged ICU stay and high mortality. However, there is no report on whether the incidence of cholecystitis, risk factors, direct elevation of bilirubin, and cholelithiasis in patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation progresses to symptomatic cholecystitis.