Use of hepatic support with MARS in a patient with SARS-CoV-2 Pneumonia, in treatment with ECMO and CRRT therapies: Case Report.

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) therapy had an important role in the treatment of severe COVID-19 pneumonia, where invasive mechanical ventilation was not enough to provide correct oxygenation to various organ systems. However, there are other extracorporeal technologies, such as the Molecular Absorbent Recirculation System (MARS) and Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT), that provide temporal support for any critical patient. The following case describes a 60-year-old man with severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), who needed ECMO therapy. During the critical days of hospitalization, CRRT was used, but a sudden hyperbilirubinemia ensued. Consequently, MARS therapy was initiated; followed by an improvement of bilirubin levels. Additional studies are needed to establish the possible benefits of the combination of MARS therapy and ECMO; however, we detected that concomitantly, there was a decrease in other laboratory parameters such as acute phase reactants. Even though, no change in clinical course was observed, as shown in some studies.

Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin does not predict acute kidney injury in heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Acute cardiorenal syndrome type 1 (CRS-1) is defined by a rapid cardiac dysfunction leading to acute kidney injury (AKI). Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is expressed on the surface of human neutrophils and epithelial cells, such as renal tubule cells, and its serum (sNGAL) and urinary have been used to predict AKI in different clinical settings. AIM: To characterize CRS-1 in a cohort of patients with acute heart diseases, evaluating the potentiality of sNGAL as an early marker of CRS-1. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort, multi-centre study. From January 2010 to December 2011, we recruited 202 adult patients admitted to the coronary intensive care unit (CICU) with a diagnosis of acute heart failure or acute coronary syndrome. We monitored the renal function to evaluate CRS-1 development and measured sNGAL levels within 24 h and after 72 h of CICU admission. RESULTS: Overall, enrolled patients were hemodynamically stable with a mean arterial pressure of 92 (82-107) mmHg, 55/202 (27.2%) of the patients developed CRS-1, but none of them required dialysis. Neither the NGAL delta value (AUC 0.40, 95%CI: 0.25-0.55) nor the NGAL peak (AUC 0.45, 95%CI: 0.36-0.54) or NGAL cut-off (≥ 140 ng/mL) values were statistically significant between the two groups (CRS-1 vs no-CRS1 patients). The area under the ROC curve for the prediction of CRS-1 was 0.40 (95%CI: 0.25-0.55) for the delta NGAL value and 0.45 (95%CI: 0.36-0.54) for the NGAL peak value. Finally, in multivariate analysis, the risk of developing CRS-1 was correlated with age > 60 years, urea nitrogen at admission and 24 h-urine output (AUC 0.83, SE = 60.5% SP = 93%), while sNGAL was not significantly correlated. CONCLUSION: In our population, sNGAL does not predict CRS-1, probably as a consequence of the mild renal injury and the low severity of heart disease. So, these data might suggest that patient selection should be taken into account when considering the utility of NGAL measurement as a biomarker of kidney damage.

Acute Kidney Injury Risk Assessment and the Nephrology Rapid Response Team.

Acute kidney Injury (AKI) is a serious medical condition affecting more than 10 million people around the world annually and resulting in poor outcomes. It has been suggested that late recognition of the syndrome may lead to delayed interventions with increased morbidity and mortality. Early diagnosis and timely therapeutic strategies may be the cornerstone of future improvement in outcomes. The purpose of this article is to provide a practical model to identify patients at high risk for AKI in different environments, with the goal to prevent AKI. We describe the AKI Risk Assessment (ARA) as a proposed algorithm that systematically evaluates the patient in high-risk situations of AKI in a simple way no matter where the patient is located, and allows different medical specialists to approach patients as a team with a nephrologist to improve outcomes. The goal of the nephrology rapid response team (NRRT) is to prevent AKI or start treatment if AKI is already diagnosed as a consequence of progressive events that can lead to progressive deterioration of kidney tissues and eventual decline in renal function and to ensure appropriate follow-up of patients at risk for progressive chronic kidney disease after the episode of AKI. Prevention is the key to avoid mortality and morbidity associated with AKI. Integration of these assessment tools in a global methodology that includes a multi-disciplinary team (NRRT) is critical to success. Video Journal Club 'Cappuccino with Claudio Ronco' at http://www.karger.com/?doi=452402.