Trial of Venovenous ECMO to De-Sedate, Extubate and Mobilise in Hypoxic Respiratory Failure

Mechanically ventilated patients with moderate to severe acute hypoxic respiratory failure are at increased risk of dying, short and long-term health problems and are often very costly to treat. The mechanical ventilator, whilst often lifesaving, may harm patients in two ways i) directly via damage to the lungs (termed ventilator induced lung injury), and ii) indirectly via paralysis and sedation that patients require to tolerate mechanical ventilation. Paralysis and sedation can increase the risk of secondary infections, weakness, prolonged duration of intensive care, as well as long-term physical disability. There is a need to develop new treatments that support patients and at the same time reduce these complications.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a device that supports the lungs by adding oxygen and removing carbon dioxide from the blood. By providing non pulmonary gas exchange, veno-venous (VV) ECMO can reduce the need for the mechanical ventilator. This in turn can reduce the risk of lung damage, and also removes the need for sedating medications so that activities like physiotherapy can begin earlier.

The REDEEM trial is a phase 2, investigator initiated, multicentre randomised controlled trial that will recruit 140 patients with moderate to severe acute hypoxic respiratory failure. It is designed to test whether adding ECMO to the mechanical ventilator, as compared to using the mechanical ventilator on its own, leads to an increase in the number of patients who survive and are discharged earlier from the intensive care unit. If the REDEEM trial confirms adding ECMO is more effective than mechanical ventilation alone, it has the potential to change the current paradigm of intensive care treatment of hypoxic respiratory failure, and could lead to changes in practice globally.