Circulatory support with triple cannulation V-PaA ECMO in a patient with acute right ventricular failure and refractory hypoxemia secondary to diffuse alveolar hemorrhage: A case report.

A 48-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with a one-week history of progressive dyspnea. During her hospitalization, the diagnosis of diffuse alveolar hemorrhage was made. She subsequently developed respiratory failure and acute right ventricular failure. Despite medical treatment, she continued to experience distributive shock due to a generalized inflammatory response. Circulatory support with ECMO was needed. We opted for triple cannulation to manage the multiorgan failure as a bridge to recovery. We describe our experience with an uncommon cannulation technique: veno-pulmonary-arterial cannulation, which enabled us to address cardiogenic shock, refractory hypoxemia, and distributive shock, leading to the successful recovery of the patient.

Analysis of immortal-time effect in post-infarction ventricular septal defect.

Introduction: Time-fixed analyses have traditionally been utilized to examine outcomes in post-infarction ventricular septal defect (VSD). The aims of this study were to: (1) analyze the relationship between VSD closure/non-closure and mortality; (2) assess the presence of immortal-time bias. Material and methods: In this retrospective cohort study, patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) complicated by VSD. Time-fixed and time-dependent Cox regression methodologies were employed. Results: The study included 80 patients: surgical closure (n = 26), transcatheter closure (n = 20), or conservative management alone (n = 34). At presentation, patients without VSD closure exhibited high-risk clinical characteristics, had the shortest median time intervals from STEMI onset to VSD development (4.0, 4.0, and 2.0 days, respectively; P = 0.03) and from STEMI symptom onset to hospital arrival (6.0, 5.0, and 0.8 days, respectively; P < 0.0001). The median time from STEMI onset to closure was 22.0 days (P = 0.14). In-hospital mortality rate was higher among patients who did not undergo defect closure (50%, 35%, and 88.2%, respectively; P < 0.0001). Closure of the defect using a fixed-time method was associated with lower in-hospital mortality (HR = 0.13, 95% CI 0.05-0.31, P < 0.0001, and HR 0.13, 95% CI 0.04-0.36, P < 0.0001, for surgery and transcatheter closure, respectively). However, when employing a time-varying method, this association was not observed (HR = 0.95, 95% CI 0.45-1.98, P = 0.90, and HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.41-1.87, P = 0.74, for surgery and transcatheter closure, respectively). These findings suggest the presence of an immortal-time bias. Conclusions: This study highlights that using a fixed-time analytic approach in post-infarction VSD can result in immortal-time bias. Researchers should consider employing time-dependent methodologies.

[Anatomy-physiology considerations for cardiogenic shock with right ventricular involvement].

Since the discovery of right ventricular infarction, interest in the characteristics of the right ventricle has been increasing. Right ventricular function is now known to be a predictor of mortality in different settings. The right ventricle is a low-pressure, high-compliance, high-volume chamber. To carry out its normal function, it is coupled to the pulmonary circulation and the left ventricle. In the face of acute changes in pressure, volume overload and ischemia, it dilates to adapt to its new load. Its manifestation may be ventricular dysfunction and/or failure that will progress to cardiogenic shock due to right ventricular involvement. Various entities may be the cause of acute dysfunction: right ventricular infarction (alterations in contractility due to ischemia) and high-risk pulmonary thromboembolism (increased afterload). Both share a similar ventricular pathophysiology and high mortality without treatment. Understanding anatomy and physiology, dysfunction and acute ventricular failure are important to define a convenient diagnosis and treatment oriented towards pathophysiology. In this first part, the anatomy and physiology, acute right ventricular dysfunction/failure and cardiogenic shock are taken into consideration, from the perspective of these two entities. In another paper, treatment aimed at cardiogenic shock due to right ventricular involvement will be reviewed.

Desde el conocimiento del infarto del ventrículo derecho, el interés por las características del ventrículo derecho ha sido cada vez mayor. Ahora se sabe que la función ventricular derecha es un predictor de mortalidad en diferentes contextos. El ventrículo derecho es una cavidad de baja presión, alta compliancia y alto volumen. Para llevar a cabo su función normal se encuentra acoplado a la circulación pulmonar y al ventrículo izquierdo. Ante alteraciones agudas de sobrecarga de presión, volumen e isquemia, se dilata para adaptarse a su nueva carga. Su manifestación puede ser disfunción o falla ventricular que progresará a choque cardiogénico por involucro del ventrículo derecho. Diversas entidades pueden ser la causa de la disfunción aguda: el infarto del ventrículo derecho (alteraciones de la contractilidad por isquemia) y la tromboembolia pulmonar de alto riesgo (aumento de la poscarga). Ambas comparten una fisiopatología ventricular similar y alta mortalidad sin tratamiento. Entender la anatomía fisiológica, la disfunción y la falla ventricular aguda es importante para definir un diagnóstico oportuno y un tratamiento orientado a la fisiopatología. En esta primera parte se toma en consideración la anatomía fisiológica y la disfunción/falla aguda ventricular derecha y su desenlace en el choque cardiogénico, desde la perspectiva de estas dos entidades. En otro trabajo se revisará el tratamiento orientado al choque cardiogénico por involucro ventricular derecho.

A contrast echocardiography-based protocol to rule out thrombus in Venous-Arterial ECMO: A proof of concept.

Using an ultrasound-enhancing agent (UEA) has several indications, especially in diagnosing left ventricular thrombus. Herein, we present three cases of patients who were candidates for venous-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, among whom thrombus was ruled out via contrast echocardiography. The use of a UEA in these patients was a novel approach.

Acute right ventricular failure in COVID-19 infection: A case series.

Severe forms of COVID-19 infection are associated with the need for invasive mechanical ventilation and thromboembolic complications; those can affect the cardiac function especially the right ventricle performance. Critical care echocardiography has rapidly evolved as the election technique in the evaluation of the critically ill patients. This technique has the advantage that it can be done at patient´s bedside and helps to provide the appropriate treatment and to monitoring maneuver's response. We present 4 patients with a confirmed COVID-19 infection who presented with sudden hemodynamic and / or respiratory deterioration, in which transthoracic echocardiogram showed acute right ventricular failure as the trigger for the event and helped to guide an early therapeutic intervention. .