Polymethylpentene (PMP) oxygenators serve as the primary oxygenator type utilized for ECMO. With the number of PMP oxygenators available, it has become increasingly important to determine differences among each oxygenator type that can lead to varying metrics of oxygenator dysfunction.

This study was a retrospective, single-center analysis of adult patients supported on ECMO between December 2020 to December 2021 with varying PMP oxygenators including the Medtronic Nautilus Smart (Minneapolis, MA), the Eurosets AMG PMP (Medolla, Italy) and Getinge Quadrox-iD and the Getinge Cardiohelp HLS Module Advanced System (Gothenberg, Sweden).

A total of 19 patients were included in our study. 10 patients (52.6%) were supported with a Medtronic Nautilus Smart oxygenator, 5 patients (26.3%) were supported with an Eurosets AMG PMP Oxygenator, and 4 patients (21.1%) were supported with either a Getinge Quadrox-iD oxygenator or Getinge Cardiohelp HLS system. Patients supported with Eurosets AMG PMP oxygenators experienced higher resistance and lower post-oxygenator PaO₂ in comparison to other cohorts (p < .02 and < .002 respectively). There was no difference in measured oxygen transfer between cohorts (p = .667). Two patients, both supported by Eurosets AMG PMP, experienced oxygenator failure (p = .094).

Radial flow oxygenators are prone to higher resistance and lower post-oxygenator PaO₂when compared to transverse flow oxygenators. Future larger multicenter studies are required to fully discern the differences between flow-varying polymethylpentene oxygenators and their appropriate cutoffs for oxygenator dysfunction.