SpecialtyCare’s real-time cohort of 32 patients across 9 states over 24 days is the largest published analysis to date of COVID-19 patients supported with ECMO. SpecialtyCare pledges to continue research and hopes to partner with other industry leaders to support providers as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves 

 

April 24, 2020 (Brentwood, TN)—SpecialtyCarethe nation’s leading provider of perfusion, ECMO, intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM), and surgical services—announced today it has collaborated with the American Society for Artificial Organs (ASAIO) to publish research to further understand the role of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in the management of severely ill patients with COVID-19.

A real-time cohort study was conducted of all patients with confirmed COVID-19 who were supported with ECMO therapy provided by SpecialtyCare clinicians from March 17, 2020, to April 9, 2020. Data captured included patient characteristics, pre-COVID-19 risk factors and comorbidities, confirmation of COVID-19 diagnosis, features of ECMO support, medications, and short-term outcomes through hospital discharge. This database is prospectively maintained on all COVID-19 patients supported with ECMO, and it is now an added component of SpecialtyCare’s Operative Procedural Registry, or SCOPE™, the largest multi-institutional database of its kind.

SpecialtyCare CEO, Sam Weinstein, MD, MBA, said, “We are honored to collaborate with ASAIO to share crucial information on this potentially life-saving therapy. Our hope is that this early experience will provide some information on how our surgical partners and perfusionists around the country are managing ECMO in the hope it enhances decision-making at the bedside.”

This experience is the largest published analysis of COVID-19 patients supported with ECMO to date, and SpecialtyCare’s medical department plans to continue sharing results of its ECMO experience, which as of April 21, 2020, counts 54 patients. SpecialtyCare hopes to partner with other perfusion leaders collecting similar data to further enhance the series.

“Linking ASAIO with a large provider of advanced therapeutics such as SpecialtyCare provides a vital link for research, knowledge transfer and interchange between academia, industry and the clinical world delivering care. This alliance will drive a common goal- the enhancement of patient care to save lives,” said Marvin J. Slepian MD, President of ASAIO and Regent’s Professor of Medicine and Biomedical Engineering, member of the Sarver Heart Center, at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

“We plan to continue gathering this information to provide additional insight to assist providers on management decisions that might improve outcomes,” said SpecialtyCare’s Vice President of Clinical Quality and Outcomes and Research, Al Stammers, MSA, PBMS, CCP (Emeritus). “We are thankful to Dr. Jeffrey Jacobs who has helped spearhead data collection and analysis on this effort, and it is our hope that by sharing our experience, other patients can benefit.”

 The published paper can be found on ASAIO website here. 

 About SpecialtyCare:

With over 1,500 clinicians supporting over 410,000 procedures annually, SpecialtyCare provides the highest quality people, services, and technology to the operating room. More than 1,100 hospitals and 13,500 physicians trust SpecialtyCare to help them achieve exceptional care outcomes, regulatory compliance, and financial results. By maintaining the SpecialtyCare Operative Procedural Registry (SCOPE™), the largest procedural database of its kind, we identify standards, determine benchmarks, disseminate best practices, and foster innovations and efficiencies that improve patient outcomes. Accredited and certified by The Joint Commission, SpecialtyCare develops expertise beyond industry requirements. Customers trust our highly trained clinicians delivering excellence in perfusion, ECMO, intraoperative neuromonitoring, autotransfusion, sterile processing management, surgical assist, and minimally invasive surgical support.

About ASAIO:

The American Society for Artificial Internal Organs (ASAIO) has been in existence for close to 70 years, striving to save lives one medical device at a time. Its mission is to provide an international, collaborative forum promoting the development of innovative medical device technology at the nexus of science, engineering, and medicine. Its interdisciplinary membership is comprised of academia, clinicians, engineers, government agencies, industry, and the financial community.

 About ECMO: 

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) provides temporary support for patients with cardiac and/or pulmonary failure. An ECMO machine provides life support to patients whose heart and lungs can’t provide enough gas exchange or perfusion. ECMO can completely replace the function of the heart and lungs to allow the medical team to repair the injury, or in some cases, wait for the heart or lung transplantation. ECMO supports blood circulation and provides oxygen to the body, allowing the lungs and heart to rest and heal. Historically, ECMO has been more commonly used in procedures involving infants and children. However, from 2006 to 2011 there has been a 433 percent increase in use in adults. ECMO was used extensively during the influenza H1N1 pandemic of 2009 and has continued to progress, becoming an essential tool for adults and children with severe cardiac and pulmonary disease. 

Media Contact:
SpecialtyCare
Kaitlin Pickrel, 615-345-5395