Opioid and Benzodiazepine Requirements in Obese Adult Patients Receiving Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

The use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) sometimes requires deep levels of sedation (Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale [RASS] -5) in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The role of obesity in opioid and sedative requirements remains unclear in patients receiving ECMO. This study sought to determine whether obesity increases midazolam and opioid requirements in patients receiving venovenous (vv)-ECMO up to the first 7 days after initiation. This was a retrospective cohort study of adult patients with ARDS managed with vv-ECMO. The obese (n = 38) and nonobese (n = 43) groups had similar baseline characteristics. Fentanyl equivalents were significantly higher on day 3 in the obese group ( = 0.02) despite similar RASS scores with no differences in midazolam requirements. There were no differences in duration of ECMO, length of stay, or mortality. Daily midazolam requirements were not significantly different, and opioid requirements were only significantly higher in the obese group on day 3 despite similar levels of sedation. The impact of obesity with the addition of ECMO and how to adapt doses of medications remains elusive.