This retrospective, single-centre study compared four ECMO pumps in 230 adults receiving veno-arterial or veno-venous support between January 2020 and December 2023. Hemolysis was assessed using lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and plasma-free hemoglobin (pfHb), with multivariable models examining associations with pump type. Without adjustment for pump revolutions per minute (RPM), NovaLung had the highest LDH (680.3 U/L) and pfHb (29.4 mg/dL). After RPM adjustment, Cardiohelp had the highest LDH (737.4 U/L) and pfHb (25.8 mg/dL), indicating that pump rankings depended on whether RPM was included in the model.
Pump-associated hemolysis marker rankings varied with RPM adjustment. These observational findings do not establish that one pump improves patient outcomes or is safer than another.
Study limitation: The single-centre retrospective design and reliance on hemolysis markers limit causal interpretation and conclusions about patient-centred outcomes.
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