A Survey of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Practice in 23 Australian Adult Intensive Care Units

In Australia, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is one of the most expensive diagnosis-related groups, costing $305 463 per complex admission to the intensive care unit(ICU). Mortality in this group of patients is high, about 43% for respiratory failure and 68% for cardiac failure. ECMO is associated with significant risk to the patient and requires specialist training andexpertise. Variation in clinical practice for patients supported with ECMO may compromise patient care and outcomes.