Clinical relevance of lung transplantation for COVID-19 ARDS: a nationwide study.

BACKGROUND: Although the number of lung transplantations (LTx) performed worldwide for COVID-19 induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is still low, there is general agreement that this treatment can save a subgroup of most severly ill patients with irreversible lung damage. However, the true proportion of patients eligible for LTx, the overall outcome and the impact of LTx to the pandemic are unknown. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed using a nationwide registry of hospitalised patients with confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-Cov-2) infection admitted between January 1, 2020 and May 30, 2021 in Austria. Patients referred to one of the two Austrian LTx centers were analyzed and grouped into patients accepted and rejected for LTx. Detailed outcome analysis was performed for all patients who received a LTx for post-COVID-19 ARDS and compared to patients who underwent LTx for other indications. RESULTS: Between January 1, 2020 and May 30, 2021, 39.485 patients were hospitalised for COVID-19 in Austria. 2323 required mechanical ventilation, 183 received extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support. 106 patients with severe COVID-19 ARDS were referred for LTx. Of these, 19 (18%) underwent LTx. 30-day mortality after LTx was 0% for COVID-19 ARDS transplant recipients. With a median follow-up of 134 (47-450) days, 14/19 patients are alive. CONCLUSIONS: Early referral of ECMO patients to a LTx center is pivotal in order to select patients eligible for LTx. Transplantation offers excellent midterm outcomes and should be incorporated in the treatment algorithm of post-COVID-19 ARDS.

Acquired Factor XIII Deficiency Is Common during ECMO Therapy and Associated with Major Bleeding Events and Transfusion Requirements.

BACKGROUND: Bleeding events are frequent complications during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy (ECMO). OBJECTIVE: To determine the rate of acquired factor XIII deficiency and its association with major bleeding events and transfusion requirements in adults undergoing ECMO therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective single centre cohort study. Adult patients receiving veno-venous or veno-arterial ECMO therapy during a 2-year period were analysed and screened for factor XIII activity measurements. Factor XIII deficiency was defined based on the lowest factor XIII activity measured during ECMO therapy. RESULTS: Among 84 subjects included into the analysis, factor XIII deficiency occurred in 69% during ECMO therapy. There were more major bleeding events (OR, 3.37; 95% CI, 1.16-10.56; p = 0.02) and higher transfusion requirements (red blood cells, 20 vs. 12, p < 0.001; platelets, 4 vs. 2, p = 0.006) in patients with factor XIII deficiency compared to patients with normal factor XIII activity. In a multivariate regression model, factor XIII deficiency was independently associated with bleeding severity (p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: In this retrospective single centre study, acquired factor XIII deficiency was observed in 69% of adult ECMO patients with a high bleeding risk. Factor XIII deficiency was associated with higher rates of major bleeding events and transfusion requirements.

The Limits of Acute Anemia.

For many years, physicians' approach to the transfusion of allogeneic red blood cells (RBC) was not individualized. It was accepted that a hemoglobin concentration (Hb) of less than 10 g/dL was a general transfusion threshold and the majority of patients were transfused immediately. In recent years, there has been increasing evidence that even significantly lower hemoglobin concentrations can be survived in the short term without sequelae. This somehow contradicts the observation that moderate or mild anemia is associated with relevant long-term morbidity and mortality. To resolve this apparent contradiction, it must be recognized that we have to avoid acute anemia or treat it by alternative methods. The aim of this article is to describe the physiological limits of acute anemia, match these considerations with clinical realities, and then present "patient blood management" (PBM) as the therapeutic concept that can prevent both anemia and unnecessary transfusion of RBC concentrates in a clinical context, especially in Intensive Care Units (ICU). This treatment concept may prove to be the key to high-quality patient care in the ICU setting in the future.