Serum S100B protein could help to detect cerebral complications associated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).

BACKGROUND: To investigate if serum S100B protein levels could early detect cerebral complications under treatment extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).

METHODS: Serum S100B levels were measured over 5 days in 32 patients with cardiogenic and septic shock, including 15 patients who treated by ECMO and 17 who did not. Cerebral complications included hemorrhage, stroke, encephalopathy with myoclonus, and brain death. Delirium was identified by the positive Confusion Assessment Method in the ICU.

RESULTS: S100B levels were elevated in 24/32 patients (75 %) at ICU admission. Five patients developed cerebral complications (2 hemorrhages with 1 brain death, 1 encephalopathy with myoclonus in the ECMO group and 2 strokes in the non-ECMO group). At day 5, S100B levels were higher in the 5 patients with cerebral complications than in the 27 without cerebral complications, regardless of ECMO (0.426 [0.421, 0.652] vs. 0.102 [0.085, 0.135] μg/L, p = 0.011). S100B levels were also more elevated in 3 patients with than in 12 without cerebral complications associated with ECMO (0.799 [0.325, 0.965] vs. 0.102 [0.09, 0.607] μg/L, p = 0.033). S100B levels were not associated with delirium after sedation withdrawal.

CONCLUSIONS: Measurement serum S100B could be useful to detect cerebral complications in deeply sedated patients associated with ECMO but not for monitoring delirium after sedation withdrawal.