
Abstract
Early rehabilitation during venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation used as a bridge to recovery (VV ECMO–BTR) may help preserve functional capacity. We retrospectively analyzed 153 adults supported with VV ECMO–BTR who received at least one physical therapy (PT) session and remained on ECMO for at least 7 days. Rehabilitation intensity was defined as PT sessions per ECMO day, and the primary outcome was discharge disposition, categorized as favorable (home or postacute rehabilitation) or unfavorable (long-term acute care or death). Favorable outcomes occurred in 28.8% of patients, who received significantly higher rehabilitation intensity than those with unfavorable outcomes (0.40 vs. 0.24 sessions/day, p < 0.001). In multivariable analysis using prespecified physiologic and functional covariates, rehabilitation intensity remained independently associated with favorable discharge (odds ratio 15.2, 95% confidence interval 2.00–145.0, p = 0.012). An exploratory threshold of 0.33 sessions per ECMO day demonstrated moderate discriminative ability (area under the curve [AUC] 0.751). These findings suggest that higher rehabilitation intensity during VV ECMO–BTR is independently associated with favorable discharge disposition, and consistent mobilization may reflect both physiologic resilience and a potentially modifiable therapeutic exposure during ECMO.