Respiratory failure & ventilation
Timing of spontaneous breathing in veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: An exploratory analysis of intensive care outcomes
Authors' conclusion
Early spontaneous breathing was associated with higher adjusted rates of extubation and ICU discharge in an exploratory analysis; however, these findings should be interpreted cautiously because of residual confounding, selection bias, and immortal-time bias.
Study context
- Population
- Adults with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) on mechanical ventilation supported with VV ECMO, eight Dutch ECMO centres
- Participants
- 123 adults
- Exposure
- Early vs later transition to sustained spontaneous breathing
- Outcome
- ICU mortality
Methodological detailsexploratory analysis, multistate and landmark Cox models, competing risk regression, adjusted for Respiratory ECMO Survival Prediction (RESP) score
- Exploratory analysis
- Multistate and landmark Cox models
- Competing risk regression
- Adjusted for RESP score
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Transitioning on any given day (landmark times ECMO day 1 through 14) not associated with a difference in ICU mortality
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Time to sustained spontaneous breathing
- Median time to sustained spontaneous breathing (IQR 1-12)
- 5.0 days
Extubation and ICU discharge · day 60
- After RESP adjustment, early sustained spontaneous breathing associated with higher rates of extubation and ICU discharge
- Adjusted for RESP score; competing risk regression
Original publication
Timing of spontaneous breathing in veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: An exploratory analysis of intensive care outcomes. J Crit Care. Published 8 July 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →