Venovenous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Candidacy Decision-Making: Lessons and Hypotheses From a Single-Center Observational Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Use of venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is increasing, but candidacy selection processes are variable and subject to bias. RESEARCH QUESTION: What are the reasons behind venovenous ECMO candidacy decisions, and are decisions made consistently across patients? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Prospective observational study of all patients, admitted or outside hospital referrals, considered for venovenous ECMO at a tertiary referral center. Relevant clinical data and reasons for candidacy determination were cross-referenced with other noncandidates and candidates and were assessed qualitatively. RESULTS: Eighty-one consultations resulted in 44 noncandidates (54%), 29 candidates (36%; nine of whom subsequently underwent cannulation), and eight deferred decisions (10%). Fifteen unique contraindications were identified, variably present across all patients. Five contraindications were invoked as the sole reason to deny ECMO to a patient. In patients with three or more contraindications, additional contraindications were cited even if the severity was relatively minor. All but four contraindications invoked to deny ECMO to a patient were nonprohibitive for at least one other candidate. Contraindications documented in noncandidates were present but not mentioned in 21 other noncandidates (47%). Twenty-six candidates (90%) had at least one contraindication that was prohibitive in a noncandidate, including a contraindication that was the sole reason to deny ECMO. Contraindications were proposed as informing three prognostic domains, through which patterns of inconsistency could be understood better: (1) irreversible underlying pulmonary process, (2) unsurvivable critical illness, and (3) clinical condition too compromised for meaningful recovery. INTERPRETATION: ECMO candidacy decisions are inconsistent. We identified four patterns of inconsistency in our center and propose a three-domain model for understanding and categorizing contraindications, yielding five lessons that may improve candidacy decision processes until further research can guide practice more definitively.

Fatal ampicillin-sulbactam anaphylaxis in a 34-year-old male.

A 34-year-old man receiving his first dose of ampicillin-sulbactam for osteomyelitis in a hospital setting experienced fatal drug-induced anaphylaxis.

The role of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in COVID-19.

An extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) program is an important component in the management of patients with COVID-19, but it is imperative to implement a system that is well-supported by the institution and staffed with well-trained clinicians to both optimize patient outcomes and to keep providers safe. There are many unknowns related to COVID-19, and one of the most challenging aspects for clinicians is the lack of predictive knowledge as to why some patients fail medical therapy and require advanced support such as ECMO. These factors can create challenges during a time of resource scarcity and interruptions in the supply chain. In the current environment, in which resources are limited and an ongoing pandemic, healthcare practitioners need to focus on evidence-based best practice for supportive care of patients with COVID-19 in refractory respiratory or cardiac failure. with As experience is gained, a greater understanding will develop in this cohort of patients regarding need and timing of ECMO. As this pandemic continues, it will be important to compile and analyze multicentered data pertaining to patient-specific outcomes to help guide clinicians caring for patients with COVID-19 undergoing ECMO support. In this paper, the authors demonstrate the strategies utilized by a major quaternary care center in the utilization and management of ECMO for patients with COVID-19.

One-Year Survival for Adult Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Patients Requiring Renal-Replacement Therapy.

OBJECTIVES: Acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) previously have been associated with in-hospital and long-term mortality of patients undergoing support with venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO). Patient selection criteria and survival prediction scores for VA-ECMO often include AKI or CKD, but exclude patients requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT). The need for RRT in ECMO patients is associated with increased intensive unit care and in-hospital mortality. The effect RRT has on mortality beyond hospital survival is not well-reported. The authors hypothesized that the timing of initiation (pre-ECMO v during ECMO) of RRT can have a significant impact on short- and long-term mortality. DESIGN: The authors categorized patients into 3 groups: those receiving RRT before initiation of ECMO, those initiated on RRT while on ECMO, and those who did not need RRT while on ECMO. The authors compared survival to decannulation, 30 days and 1 year between the 3 groups. A multivariate survival analysis also was conducted. SETTING: This was a single center retrospective review of all patients receiving VA-ECMO. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 347 adult VA-ECMO extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients. INTERVENTIONS: None, retrospective. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The authors' cohort included 347 total patients, 39 required RRT before ECMO, 139 while on ECMO, and 169 did not require RRT while on ECMO. If RRT was initiated before ECMO, survival to decannulation was 48.72%, 46.6% if RRT was initiated on ECMO, and 73.96% for patients who did not need RRT while on ECMO. One-year survival was 25.64%, 23.74%, and 46.75%, respectively. There was no significant difference in survival between patients initiated on RRT before ECMO and those who required RRT while on ECMO. CONCLUSIONS: The authors demonstrated that the need for RRT before or while on ECMO has reduced short- and long-term survival when compared with those who did not need RRT while on ECMO. The authors believe that RRT is a marker for severe multiorgan failure and that, despite the benefits of RRT, high mortality will occur. This lack of mortality difference between patients previously on RRT and those newly requiring RRT may help clinicians in deciding to initiate ECMO for patients previously on RRT. Further investigation into complication rates between the groups is required.

ARDS With Pneumothorax in a Young Adult.

CASE PRESENTATION: A 19-year-old, previously healthy man presented with 3 days of cough, high-grade fevers (40 °C), and dyspnea. Apart from a resolved history of seizures not requiring medications, he had no medical or surgical history. He had no known drug allergies. He took montelukast for allergies and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) for 2 weeks before admission for acne, but no other medications, including over-the-counter medications and supplements. He had animal exposures to a new puppy and a friend's bird. He had no history of smoking, vaping, or recreational drug use. His paternal grandmother had rheumatoid arthritis.

Effect of Impella 5.5 on Preexisting Functional Mitral Regurgitation in Patients with Heart Failure-Related Cardiogenic Shock.

Background: Heart failure-related cardiogenic shock (HF-CS) is increasingly common. Moderate/severe functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) is commonly seen in patients presenting with decompensated heart failure and is associated with worse outcomes. Percutaneous mechanical circulatory support devices are increasingly used to provide hemodynamic support for ongoing CS. There is no description of the impact of Impella device on hemodynamic response when used in combination with preexisting FMR. Methods: Retrospective review of patients aged ≥18 years, who underwent Impella 5.5 implant for HF-CS, and who had a transthoracic echocardiogram performed pre- and post-Impella. Results: Of 24 patients, 33% had moderate-to-severe/severe FMR, 38% had mild-moderate/moderate FMR, and 29% had trace/mild FMR on pre-Impella transthoracic echocardiogram. Additional right ventricular assist device was simultaneously inserted in 3 patients, of whom 1 had severe, 1 had moderate, and another had mild FMR pre-Impella. Despite maximally tolerated Impella unloading, 6 patients (25%) had persistent moderate-severe/severe FMR, and 9 (37.5%) patients had persistent moderate FMR. Overall, however, there was a decrease in central venous pressure, pulmonary artery diastolic pressure, serum lactate, and vasoactive-inotrope score at 24 â€‹hours post-Impella, and survival was high at 83%. Conclusions: In a retrospective cohort of patients admitted with HF-CS who underwent Impella 5.5 implant for hemodynamic support, Impella did not seem to acutely ameliorate FMR severity. Despite this, there was a significant improvement in hemodynamic response at 24 â€‹hours post-Impella. In carefully selected patients, especially those with isolated left ventricular failure, Impella 5.5 may provide adequate hemodynamic support even in the presence of higher severity FMR.

Severe Tricuspid Valve Endocarditis: A Tale of 2 Circuits.

A 25-year-old woman with severe tricuspid valve endocarditis and septic pulmonary emboli required VA-ECMO for recurrent hypoxemia-induced cardiac arrest. We present the clinical challenges requiring ECMO circuit reconfiguration and a percutaneous approach for vegetation debulking. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).

How to Turn It Down: The Evidence and Opinions Behind Adult Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Weaning.

Adequate and durable recovery in patients supported with venoarterial (VA) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) can be challenging to predict. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation weaning is the process by which the ECMO flows are decreased to assess if a patient is ready for decannulation. The optimal strategies for deciding who to wean and how to wean VA ECMO remain undefined. A retrospective literature review was performed to understand the evidence supporting current practices in ECMO weaning and in particular patient selection and methods. Most published work and expert opinions agree that once the underlying process has resolved, the minimum required physiologic parameters for weaning from ECMO include: hemodynamic stability and cardiac pulsatility, adequate lung function to support oxygenation and ventilation, and evidence of recovered end organ function. Echocardiography is universally used to assess cardiac function during the weaning process. Currently, there is no consensus regarding who is eligible to wean or how to wean ECMO in adults. We have reviewed the literature to summarize the evidence and expert opinions behind VA ECMO weaning, and give an example of the protocol used at our center. We believe this protocol optimizes patient selection for weaning and helps to predict successful decannulation.

Individualized Multimodal Physiologic Approach to Mechanical Ventilation in Patients With Obesity and Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Reduced Venovenous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Utilization.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether individualized optimization of mechanical ventilation through the implementation of a lung rescue team could reduce the need for venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in patients with obesity and acute respiratory distress syndrome and decrease ICU and hospital length of stay and mortality. DESIGN: Single-center, retrospective study at the Massachusetts General Hospital from June 2015 to June 2019. PATIENTS: All patients with obesity and acute respiratory distress syndrome who were referred for venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation evaluation due to hypoxemic respiratory failure. INTERVENTION: Evaluation and individualized optimization of mechanical ventilation by the lung rescue team before the decision to proceed with venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The control group was those patients managed according to hospital standard of care without lung rescue team evaluation. MEASUREMENT AND MAIN RESULTS: All 20 patients (100%) allocated in the control group received venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, whereas 10 of 13 patients (77%) evaluated by the lung rescue team did not receive venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Patients who underwent lung rescue team evaluation had a shorter duration of mechanical ventilation (p = 0.03) and shorter ICU length of stay (p = 0.03). There were no differences between groups in in-hospital, 30-day, or 1-year mortality. CONCLUSIONS: In this hypothesis-generating study, individualized optimization of mechanical ventilation of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome and obesity by a lung rescue team was associated with a decrease in the utilization of venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, duration of mechanical ventilation, and ICU length of stay. Mortality was not modified by the lung rescue team intervention.

Increased Intracranial Hemorrhage Amid Elevated Inflammatory Markers in Those With COVID-19 Supported With Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

ABSTRACT: COVID-19-related coagulopathy is a known complication of SARS-CoV-2 infection and can lead to intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), one of the most feared complications of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). We sought to evaluate the incidence and etiology of ICH in patients with COVID-19 requiring ECMO. Patients at two academic medical centers with COVID-19 who required venovenous-ECMO support for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) were evaluated retrospectively. During the study period, 33 patients required ECMO support; 16 (48.5%) were discharged alive, 13 died (39.4%), and 4 (12.1%) had ongoing care. Eleven patients had ICH (33.3%). All ICH events occurred in patients who received intravenous anticoagulation. The ICH group had higher C-reactive protein (P = 0.04), procalcitonin levels (P = 0.02), and IL-6 levels (P = 0.05), lower blood pH before and after ECMO (P < 0.01), and higher activated partial thromboplastin times throughout the hospital stay (P < 0.0001). ICH-free survival was lower in COVID-19 patients than in patients on ECMO for ARDS caused by other viruses (49% vs. 79%, P = 0.02). In conclusion, patients with COVID-19 can be successfully bridged to recovery using ECMO but may suffer higher rates of ICH compared to those with other viral respiratory infections.

Acute Myocardial Infarction Complicated by Cardiogenic Shock: Analysis of the Position Statement From the European Society of Cardiology Acute Cardiovascular Care Association, With Perioperative Implications.

Effective management of cardiogenic shock (CS) is hampered by a lack of evidence-based information. This is a high-mortality condition, without clear, evidence-based guidelines for perioperative management, specifically-a lack of target endpoints for treatment (e.g.: mean arterial pressure or oxygenation), utility of regional care systems or the benefits of palliative care. The Acute Cardiovascular Care Association (ACCA) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) recently published a position statement that aimed to offer contemporary guidance on the diagnosis and treatment of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated by CS. Herein, we review this complex clinical topic and review the ACCA statement on AMI associated with CS, with a focus on relevance to perioperative management.