Do we need another prognostic score for cardiogenic shock patients with ECMO?

Excerpt

Chen et al. [1] succeeded in improving the SAVE score in patients who received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for cardiogenic shock (CS) by simple addition of blood lactate. Accordingly, many other scores have been determined for outcome prediction for patients already receiving ECMO for CS; some reported by the authors and others being published afterward [2]. Enthusiasm in these scores is understandable but will not select adequate candidates for ECMO in the overall CS population. Chen et al. stated: “To avoid unnecessary use of ECMO, which might unnecessarily consume resources and expose patients to possible ECMO complications, thorough consideration must be used to identify the appropriate candidates for ECMO support” [1]. I strongly support and would like to emphasize their statement. …