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.

The paradigm to overcome in acute decompensated heart failure.

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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.

Renal Resistive Index as a Predictor of Acute Kidney Injury and Mortality in COVID-19 Critically Ill Patients.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with COVID-19 can be caused by multiple mechanisms. Renal resistive index (RRI) is a noninvasive instrument to evaluate kidney hemodynamics, and it is obtained by analysis of intrarenal arterial waves using Doppler ultrasound. This study aimed to determine the role of RRI in predicting AKI and adverse outcomes in critically ill patients with COVID-19. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 65 patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia admitted to the critical care unit from April 1, 2020, to June 20, 2020. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. Cardiac, pulmonary, and kidney ultrasonographic evaluations were performed in a protocolized way. RESULTS: In this cohort, 65 patients were included, mean age was 53.4 years, 79% were male, and 35% were diabetic. Thirty-four percent of patients developed AKI, 12% required RRT, and 35% died. Of the patients who developed AKI, 68% had RRI ≥ 0.7. Also, 75% of the patients who required RRT had RRI ≥ 0.7. In the adjusted Cox model, the RRI ≥ 0.7 was associated with higher mortality (HR 2.86, 95% CI: 1.19-6.82, p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Critical care ultrasonography is a noninvasive, reproducible, and accurate bedside method that has proven its usefulness. An elevated RRI may have a role in predicting AKI, RRT initiation, and mortality in patients with severe SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia.

Critical care ultrasonography during COVID-19 pandemic: The ORACLE protocol.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is characterized by severe lung involvement and hemodynamic alterations. Critical care ultrasonography is vital because it provides real time information for diagnosis and treatment. Suggested protocols for image acquisition and measurements have not yet been evaluated. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted at two centers from 1 April 2020 to 30 May 2020 in adult patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection admitted to the critical care unit. Cardiac and pulmonary evaluations were performed using the ORACLE protocol, specifically designed for this study, to ensure a structured process of image acquisition and limit staff exposure to the infection. RESULTS: Eighty-two consecutively admitted patients were evaluated. Most of the patients were males, with a median age of 56 years, and the most frequent comorbidities were hypertension and type 2 diabetes, and 25% of the patients had severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. The most frequent ultrasonographic findings were elevated pulmonary artery systolic pressure (69.5%), E/e' ratio > 14 (29.3%), and right ventricular dilatation (28%) and dysfunction (26.8%). A high rate of fluid responsiveness (82.9%) was observed. The median score (19 points) on pulmonary ultrasound did not reveal any variation between the groups. Elevated pulmonary artery systolic pressure was associated with higher in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSION: The ORACLE protocol was a feasible, rapid, and safe bedside tool for hemodynamic and respiratory evaluation of patients with COVID-19. Further studies should be performed on the alteration in pulmonary hemodynamics and right ventricular function and its relationship with outcomes.