Skip to content

Levosimendan for Veno-arterial ECMO Weaning

Levosimendan for Reducing Veno-arterial ECMO Weaning Failure During Refractory Cardiogenic Shock: a Retrospective Propensity Score Analysis

Status
Completed
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Observational
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04323709
Acronym
WEANECMO
Enrollment
200
Registered
2020-03-26
Start date
2019-01-01
Completion date
2020-03-01
Last updated
2020-03-26

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Cardiogenic Shock, Refractory Shock

Keywords

Refractory cardiogenic shock, Levosimendan, VA-ECMO (Veno-Arterial ExtraCorporeal Membrane Oxygenation)

Brief summary

Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) is a temporary mechanical circulatory support that has been increasingly used over the last decade to restore and maintain adequate end-organ perfusion, with data suggesting improvement in outcome for patients with refractory cardiogenic shock. Nevertheless, VA-ECMO weaning should be questioned every day during patient's support. Indeed, studies have shown that the incidence of severe complications related to ECMO is associated with longer circulatory support duration. Inotropes such as dobutamine are currently used to improve myocardial contractility during VA-ECMO support with the aim to enhance left ventricular ejection, aortic valve opening and to shorten ECMO duration. However, many data suggest an increase in mortality related to predisposition to myocardial ischemia and arrythmias. Levosimendan is a calcium sensitizing inotropic agent with systemic, coronary and pulmonary vasodilatory properties and specific cardioprotective effect without increasing myocardial oxygen consumption. The use of levosimendan in patients undergoing VA-ECMO may therefore be of interest both to reduce the duration of mechanical support and to minimize severe complication with few data suggesting a potential benefit of levosimendan for VA-ECMO weaning and survival in post-cardiotomy low cardiac output syndrome with improvement of endothelial function and hemodynamics. Investigators therefore sought to investigate whether the use of levosimendan improves weaning for patients undergoing VA-ECMO support for refractory cardiogenic shock hospitalized in the surgical intensive care unit (ICU).

Interventions

OTHERData collection

Clinical data are collected from the medical record of the institution. At admission, date were collected on age, gender, body mass index, Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment, hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, smoking, history of stroke or congestive heart failure, coronary or peripheral artery disease, renal failure with dialysis, Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction(LVEF), Tricuspid Annular Plane Systolic Excursion, mean arterial pressure, heart rate, central venous pressure, ScvO2, presence of an intra-aortic balloon pump and biochemical parameters. During hospitalization data were collected on reason for initiation of VA-ECMO and its characteristics (duration, type, flow L/min, RPM, FiO2), length of stay in ICU, catecholamines and inotropes maximal dose and length of administration, patients with heart transplantation or LVAD. In patients with levosimendan treatment, timing of administration regarding ECMO canulation was collected

Continuous variables were presented as mean ± standard deviation and compared using Student's t-test or Mann-Whitney U-test depending on their normality. Categorical variables were presented as counts and percentages and compared using Pearson's chi-squared test or Fisher's exact test, as appropriate. Survival at day 28 was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log rank test. Investigators conducted a multivariable logistic regression with propensity score matching, which was defined as the probability of exposure to levosimendan. Results were reported as odd ratios (ORs) together its 95%CI assuming a 5% level of statistical significance. All analyses were carried out using STATA 15.0 (Stata Corp, College Station, Texas 77845 USA).

Sponsors

Hospices Civils de Lyon
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
RETROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Age ≥18 years * All consecutive patients admitted with VA-ECMO support for refractory cardiogenic shock * All consecutive patients admitted for lobectomy or wedge video-assisted thoracoscopy * Levosimendan administration was left to the discretion of the attending clinician

Exclusion criteria

* Age \< 18 years * VA-ECMO duration \< 48h * VA-ECMO for refractory cardiac arrest * Right heart or veno-venous ECMO * VA-ECMO for circulatory failure following lung transplant surgery.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
VA-ECMO weaning failure defined as death24 hoursThe primary endpoint was VA-ECMO weaning failure defined as death during ECMO support or death within 24h after ECMO removal.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Impact of exposure to levosimendan (at day 28)Day 28Secondary endpoints were the impact of exposure to levosimendan on mortality at day 28 after VA-ECMO canulation.
Impact of exposure to levosimendan (at 6 months)6 monthsSecondary endpoints were the impact of exposure to levosimendan on mortality at 6 months after VA-ECMO canulation.

Countries

France

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 26, 2026