Health status and quality of life of survivors of extra corporeal membrane oxygenation: a cross-sectional study.

Aims: To understand the influential factors related to quality of life for adult patients who have undergone extra corporeal membrane oxygenation.

Background: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is an invasive treatment for critically ill patients requiring temporary cardiac or respiratory support. Most studies have focused on survival outcomes for patients; few have evaluated health-related quality of life.

Design: A cross-sectional design.

Methods: Data were collected in 2013 from a convenience sample of adult patients who had survived treatment with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation between 2009-2011. Structured questionnaires collected data about health status. The Short Form 36-item questionnaire measured quality of life.

Results: The 100 participants averaged 48·95 years of age. Pearson's correlation showed two measures of health status had significant correlations with quality of life: the Barthel Index and the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living; two measures had significant negative correlations: Charlson's Comorbidity Index and the Nottingham Health Profile-part II. Mean scores for the physical and mental component summaries of the Short Form-36 questionnaire were 49·25 and 48·13 respectively. These component scores had significant negative correlations with the Nottingham health profile-part II. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis indicated the number of life areas affected on the Nottingham health profile-part II was a common factor influencing both the mental and physical component summaries scores for quality of life.

Conclusions: Social participation was a common factor influencing quality of life. Examining health status and quality of life of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation survivors can help nurses determine interventions for effectively improving health-related quality of life.