Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and paediatric palliative care in an ICU

Objectives: Compare rates, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of paediatric palliative care consultation in children supported on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation admitted to a single-centre 16-bed cardiac or a 28-bed paediatric ICU. Methods: Retrospective review of clinical characteristics and outcomes of children (aged 0-21 years) supported on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation between January, 2017 and December, 2019 compared by palliative care consultation. Measurements and results: One hundred children (N = 100) were supported with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation; 19% received a palliative care consult. Compared to non-consulted children, consulted children had higher disease severity measured by higher complex chronic conditions at the end of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation hospitalisation (5 versus. 3; p < 0.001), longer hospital length of stay (92 days versus 19 days; p < 0.001), and higher use of life-sustaining therapies after decannulation (79% versus 23%; p < 0.001). Consultations occurred mainly for longitudinal psychosocial-spiritual support after patient survived device deployment with a median of 27 days after cannulation. Most children died in the ICU after withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies regardless of consultation status. Over two-thirds of the 44 deaths (84%; n = 37) occurred during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation hospitalisation. Conclusions: Palliative care consultation was rare showing that palliative care consultation was not viewed as an acute need and only considered when the clinical course became protracted. As a result, there are missed opportunities to involve palliative care earlier and more frequently in the care of extracorporeal membrane survivors and non-survivors and their families.