Adding Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation to Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Due to Pulmonary Embolism: A Case Report.

We present a challenging cardiopulmonary resuscitation scenario of an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in a 21-year-old healthy woman recovering from a lower limb fracture who collapsed during a rehabilitation session at a community center. The combination of witnessed arrest, administration of immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and effective communication to emergency services enabled a timely cannulation of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in a cardiopulmonary resuscitation reference center. The cause of the cardiac arrest was pulmonary embolism, and the intensive care unit team opted for thrombolysis when she arrived after 40 minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The circulatory support given by venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation enabled adequate perfusion until the restoration of cardiac blood flow at 75 minutes after cardiac arrest. Despite the initial success, several life-threatening complications occurred. Anticoagulation is of paramount importance during extracorporeal support, as is thrombolysis in massive pulmonary embolism with cardiac arrest. However, this led to several complications. We highlight the importance of liaising with a wider team in such cases, including hepatobiliary surgery, vascular surgery, and interventional radiology, as doing so saved this patient's life without deficits.

Hipotermia terapêutica após parada cardíaca: preditores de prognóstico / Therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest: outcome predictors

Resumo Objetivo: A determinação do prognóstico de pacientes em coma após parada cardíaca tem implicações clínicas, éticas e sociais. Exame neurológico, marcadores de imagem e bioquímicos são ferramentas úteis e bem aceitas na previsão da recuperação. Com o advento da hipotermia terapêutica, tais informações devem de ser confirmadas. Neste estudo procurou-se determinar a validade de diferentes marcadores que podem ser utilizados na detecção de pacientes com mau prognóstico durante um protocolo de hipotermia. Métodos: Foram coletados prospectivamente os dados de pacientes adultos, internados após parada cardíaca em nossa unidade de terapia intensiva para realização de protocolo de hipotermia. Nosso intuito foi realizar um estudo descritivo e analítico para analisar a relação entre os dados clínicos, parâmetros neurofisiológicos, de imagem e bioquímicos, e o desfecho após 6 meses, conforme definido pela escala Cerebral Performance Categories (bom, se 1-2, e mau, se 3-5). Foi coletada uma amostra para determinação de neuroenolase após 72 horas. Os exames de imagem e neurofisiológicos foram realizados 24 horas após o período de reaquecimento. Resultados: Foram incluídos 67 pacientes, dos quais 12 tiveram evolução neurológica favorável. Fibrilação ventricular e atividade teta no eletroencefalograma se associaram a bom prognóstico. Pacientes submetidos a resfriamento mais rápido (tempo médio de 163 versus 312 minutos), com lesão cerebral causada por hipóxia/isquemia detectada na ressonância nuclear magnética ou níveis de neuroenolase superiores a 58ng/mL se associaram a desfecho neurológico desfavorável (p < 0,05). Conclusão: A presença de lesão cerebral causada por hipóxia/isquemia e de neuroenolase foram fortes preditores de má evolução neurológica. Apesar da crença de que atingir rapidamente a temperatura alvo da hipotermia melhora o prognóstico neurológico, nosso estudo demonstrou que este fator se associou a um aumento da mortalidade e a uma pior evolução neurológica.

ABSTRACT Objective: The determination of coma patient prognosis after cardiac arrest has clinical, ethical and social implications. Neurological examination, imaging and biochemical markers are helpful tools accepted as reliable in predicting recovery. With the advent of therapeutic hypothermia, these data need to be reconfirmed. In this study, we attempted to determine the validity of different markers, which can be used in the detection of patients with poor prognosis under hypothermia. Methods: Data from adult patients admitted to our intensive care unit for a hypothermia protocol after cardiac arrest were recorded prospectively to generate a descriptive and analytical study analyzing the relationship between clinical, neurophysiological, imaging and biochemical parameters with 6-month outcomes defined according to the Cerebral Performance Categories scale (good 1-2, poor 3-5). Neuron-specific enolase was collected at 72 hours. Imaging and neurophysiologic exams were carried out in the 24 hours after the rewarming period. Results: Sixty-seven patients were included in the study, of which 12 had good neurological outcomes. Ventricular fibrillation and electroencephalographic theta activity were associated with increased likelihood of survival and improved neurological outcomes. Patients who had more rapid cooling (mean time of 163 versus 312 minutes), hypoxic-ischemic brain injury on magnetic resonance imaging or neuron-specific enolase > 58ng/mL had poor neurological outcomes (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Hypoxic-ischemic brain injury on magnetic resonance imaging and neuron-specific enolase were strong predictors of poor neurological outcomes. Although there is the belief that early achievement of target temperature improves neurological prognoses, in our study, there were increased mortality and worse neurological outcomes with earlier target-temperature achievement.

Therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest: outcome predictors.

OBJECTIVE: The determination of coma patient prognosis after cardiac arrest has clinical, ethical and social implications. Neurological examination, imaging and biochemical markers are helpful tools accepted as reliable in predicting recovery. With the advent of therapeutic hypothermia, these data need to be reconfirmed. In this study, we attempted to determine the validity of different markers, which can be used in the detection of patients with poor prognosis under hypothermia. METHODS: Data from adult patients admitted to our intensive care unit for a hypothermia protocol after cardiac arrest were recorded prospectively to generate a descriptive and analytical study analyzing the relationship between clinical, neurophysiological, imaging and biochemical parameters with 6-month outcomes defined according to the Cerebral Performance Categories scale (good 1-2, poor 3-5). Neuron-specific enolase was collected at 72 hours. Imaging and neurophysiologic exams were carried out in the 24 hours after the rewarming period. RESULTS: Sixty-seven patients were included in the study, of which 12 had good neurological outcomes. Ventricular fibrillation and electroencephalographic theta activity were associated with increased likelihood of survival and improved neurological outcomes. Patients who had more rapid cooling (mean time of 163 versus 312 minutes), hypoxic-ischemic brain injury on magnetic resonance imaging or neuron-specific enolase > 58ng/mL had poor neurological outcomes (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Hypoxic-ischemic brain injury on magnetic resonance imaging and neuron-specific enolase were strong predictors of poor neurological outcomes. Although there is the belief that early achievement of target temperature improves neurological prognoses, in our study, there were increased mortality and worse neurological outcomes with earlier target-temperature achievement.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis associated with pulmonary vein thrombosis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary vein thrombosis represents a potentially fatal disease. This syndrome may clinically mimic pulmonary embolism but has a different investigation strategy and prognosis. Pulmonary vein thrombosis is difficult to diagnose clinically and usually requires a combination of conventionally used diagnostic modalities. CASE PRESENTATION: The authors report a case of a 78-year-old previously healthy female presenting with collapse and shortness of breath. Serum biochemistry revealed acute kidney injury, positive D-dimmer's and increased C reactive protein. Chest radiography demonstrated volume loss in the right lung. The patient was started on antibiotics and also therapeutic doses of low molecular weight heparin. The working diagnosis included community acquired pneumonia & pulmonary embolism. A computed tomography pulmonary angiogram was performed to confirm the clinical suspicions of pulmonary embolism. This demonstrated a thrombus in the pulmonary vein, with associated fibrosis and volume loss of the right lower lobe. A subsequent thrombophilia screen revealed a positive lupus anticoagulant antibody and rheumatoid factor and also decreased anti thrombin III and protein C levels. The urine protein/creatinine ratio was found to be 553 mg/mmol. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of this patient was therefore of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis associated with pulmonary vein thrombosis. Whether or not the pulmonary vein thrombosis was a primary cause of the fibrosis or a consequence of it was unclear. There are few data on the management of pulmonary vein thrombosis, but anticoagulation, antibiotics, and, in cases of large pulmonary vein thrombosis, thrombectomy or pulmonary resection have been used.

[Shouldn't the Achilles' heel be on the foot - regarding a clinical case]. / Não fosse no pé o calcanhar de Aquiles - a propósito de um caso clínico.

Clinical suspicion is the bedrock of a thorough clinical work-up, and a review of the clinical files with no definitive diagnosis is a must. Such a review can uncover rare diagnoses, such as Waldenstrom's macroglobulinaemia, a proliferative B-cell disease characterised by medular infiltration and monoclonocal IgM production. 1% of these are biclonal. We present a case of a 74 year old patient diagnosed in October 2004 with acute cholecystitis. Surgical evaluation revealed bilateral pleural effusion with an inconclusive aetiology. Patient underwent a right pleurodesis in May 2005 and the aetiology remained inconclusive. The third evaluation, in July 2005, led to a final diagnosis of Waldenstrom's macroglobulinaemia.