First described early in the pandemic, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated fulminant myocarditis can present with arrhythmias and cardiogenic shock, but may be treatable with mechanical circulatory support, such as venoarterial (VA) extracorporeal life support (ECLS) [1]. To better characterize severe myocarditis during the COVID-19 pandemic, we analyzed adult patients with severe COVID-19 who received ECLS for cardiac, pulmonary, or combined failure using an international registry.

We calculated the rate of mechanical circulatory support use among patients receiving ECLS for COVID-19, describing patient characteristics and risk factors for mortality. We utilized the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) Registry and extracted data on patients ≥ 18 years old, diagnosed with COVID-19 from January 1, 2020, through March 31, 2021. Data released from ELSO are de-identified, do not meet the definition of Human Subjects Research, and therefore do not require repeat human subjects review.