Prognostic Impact of Serial Imaging in Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome on the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

BACKGROUND

The impact of serial imaging on the outcome of ICU patients has not been studied specifically in patients with high illness severity.

METHODS

The authors sought a relationship between the numbers of antero-posterior supine chest X-rays (CXR), computed tomography (CT) examinations, and outcome in a cohort of 292 patients with severe COVID-19 ARDS collected over 24 months in a high-volume ECMO center with established ultrasound and echocardiographic diagnostics. Of the patients, 172 (59%) were obese or morbidly obese, and 119 (41%) were treated with ECMO.

RESULTS

The median number of CXRs was eight per 14 days of the length of stay in the ICU. The CXR rate was not related to ICU survival (p = 0.37). Patients required CT scanning in 26.5% of cases, with no relationship to the outcome except for the better ICU survival of the ECMO patients without a need for a CT scan (p = 0.01). The odds ratio for survival associated with ordering a CT scan in an ECMO patient was 0.48, p = 0.01. The calculated savings for not routinely requesting a whole-body CT scan in every patient were 98.685 EUR/24 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Serial imaging does not impact the survival rates of patients with severe ARDS. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients who did not need CT scanning had significantly better ICU outcomes.