BACKGROUND: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is an effective measure for saving the lives of critically ill patients. Prompt identification of the risk factors for mortality among patients receiving ECMO and comprehensive analysis of the long-term prognosis of survivors are vital. This scoping review summarized the representative prognostic scoring systems, aiming to help clinicians in selecting an appropriate scoring system to avoid unnecessary medical resource consumption and reduce ECMO-associated mortality.

METHODS: A comprehensive search of multiple databases, including PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library, was conducted. After removing duplicate studies, a full-text review was performed, and all studies that reported score systems before and/or after ECMO support were included. This protocol adheres to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) and has been registered with the Open Science Framework (osf.io/zp4ge).

RESULTS: Among the 114 studies included, we identified three scores for patients receiving veno-venous ECMO (VV-ECMO), five scores for patients receiving veno-arterial ECMO (VA-ECMO), and three critical illness scores, which apply to both VV- and VA-ECMO conditions. All characteristics of these scoring systems, their advantages, and their limitations were summarized.

CONCLUSION: The implementation of an ECMO scoring system helps to assess the condition of critically ill patients, predict outcome, and provide objective indicators to determine the optimal timing for ECMO intervention. Due to the limitations of the currently available scores, further efforts in improving and validating the ECMO scoring system are needed to achieve the goals of minimizing unnecessary consumption of medical resources and reducing mortality rates.