Objective: to characterize the profile of adult patients treated with ECMO according to survival and to identify predictors for mortality. Method: A retrospective cohort study performed at a high complexity hospital specialized in cardiology and pneumology, member of the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO). All records of patients older than 18 years who used ECMO therapy in the last 6 years were evaluated. Patients younger than 18 years, treatment with other circulatory support modalities, and patients whose medical records were insufficient to perform the study were excluded from the analysis. For the data analysis the included patients were divided into survivors and non–survivors. Results: the mortality observed during the hospitalization period was 83%. There was no difference between the groups in relation to the male sex (70% vs. 50%, p=0,449), age (40 + 12 years old vs. 29 + 12 years old , p=0,156) and left ventricular ejection fraction (45,2 + 22% vs. 55 + 20%, p=0,504). Patients from the non–surviving group presented higher values of the SAPS 3 score when compared to the other group and this difference was significant (87 [77,75 – 92,5] vs. 70 [59,25 – 83,75], p=0,037). Conclusion: the mortality of critically ill patients with ECMO was 83,3%. The presence of HF (OR: 2,400, p=0,019) and the Need of dialysis during ECMO use (OR: 1,615, p=0,011) were associated with mortality.