Search

A healthy 55-year-old woman unvaccinated for SARS-CoV-2 was admitted to the hospital with a SARSCoV-2 infection with rapid clinical deterioration. On the 17th day of disease, she was intubated, and on the 24th day, the patient was referred and admitted to our extracorporeal membrane oxygenation center. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support was initially used to enable lung recovery and allow the patient to rehabilitate and improve her physical condition. Despite an adequate physical condition, the lung function was not adequate to discontinue extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and the patient was considered for lung transplantation. The intensive rehabilitation program was implemented to improve and maintain the physical status throughout all phases. The extracorporeal membrane oxygenation run had several complications that ABSTRACT hindered successful rehabilitation: right ventricular failure that required venoarterial-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for 10 days; six nosocomial infections, four with progression to septic shock; and knee hemarthrosis. To reduce the risk of infection, invasive devices (i.e., invasive mechanical ventilation, central venous catheter, and vesical catheter) were removed whenever possible, keeping only those essential for monitoring and care. After 162 days of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support without other organ dysfunction, bilateral lobar lung transplantation was performed. Physical and respiratory rehabilitation were continued to promote independence in daily life activities. Four months after surgery, the patient was discharged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To characterize the pressures, resistances, oxygenation, and decarboxylation efficacy of two oxygenators associated in series or in parallel during venous-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support. Methods: Using the results of a swine severe respiratory failure associated with multiple organ dysfunction venousvenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support model and mathematical modeling, we explored the effects on oxygenation, decarboxylation and circuit pressures of in-parallel and in-series associations of oxygenators. Results: Five animals with a median weight of 80kg were tested. Both configurations increased the oxygen partial pressure after the oxygenators. The return cannula oxygen content was also slightly higher, but the impact on systemic oxygenation was minimal using oxygenators with a high rated flow (~ 7L/minute). Both configurations significantly reduced the systemic carbon dioxide partial pressure. As the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation blood flow increased, the oxygenator resistance decreased initially with a further increase with higher blood flows but with a small clinical impact. Conclusion: Association of oxygenators in parallel or in series during venous-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support provides a modest increase in carbon dioxide partial pressure removal with a slight improvement in oxygenation. The effect of oxygenator associations on extracorporeal circuit pressures is minimal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To describe the main challenges of nursing care in the treatment of COVID-19 in patients on cardiopulmonary bypass therapy with Ecmo membrane oxygenator. The method used was an integrative literature review. Searches were performed in Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and Scopus, using descriptors, resulting after analysis of the inclusion and exclusion criteria in 17 studies. The results indicated that there is a lack of hospital resources and trained professionals for the use of ECMO therapy in patients with COVID-19. The study concluded that besides the scarcity of publications on the subject, it is essential to increase the capacity of institutions that offer ECMO therapy. It is essential to invest in training and capacitate the nursing teams providing a safe treatment and with quality service delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify nursing interventions and analyze the survival of pediatric patients who used extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in the post-op period of cardiac surgery. Methods: This is a prospective historical observational study with a quantitative approach. Data on the main nursing interventions were captured in the medical records during the immediate postoperative period. Subsequently, telephone contact was made to analyze the survival of children who used extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in the postoperative period of cardiac surgery. Results: There was a predominance of male gender 68.8%, infants 66.7%, white ethnicity 83.3%. We found 82 nursing procedures. In the patients who had hospital discharge (33.3%), it was performed for follow-up. Conclusion: The main nursing interventions for pediatric patients after cardiac surgery using extracorporeal membrane oxygenation indicated in this study were: multiparametric monitoring, care for prevention and / or control of bleeding, change of decubitus position, bandage change and observation of the patient's clinical change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 63-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with an acute history of fever, prostration and dyspnea. She was diagnosed with severe COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome and, despite optimized critical care support, met the indications for veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. On day 34, after 7 days of wean sedation with a positive evolution of neurologic status, she presented a limited generalized tonic-clonic seizure not related to hydroelectrolytic or metabolic imbalance, which led to a diagnostic investigation; her brain imaging tests showed a posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome. This case emphasizes the issue of neurological complications in patients with severe COVID-19 infection and the importance of early diagnosis and support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indications for ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome due to COVID-19 infection are similar to indications for its use for other causes. It is argued that ECMO should be reserved as a last resort after failure of other strategies, including protective ventilation pulmonary, prone positioning, high positive end-expiratory pressure, recruitment maneuvers, neuromuscular blocking agents and pulmonary vasodilators. ECMO in patients with COVID-19 is contraindicated in patients with severe comorbidities incompatible with recovery, such as multiple organ failure, advanced malignancy, severe neurological damage, prolonged cardiac arrest, or recent central nervous system bleeding or expansion. ECMO should be reserved as a last resort after the failure of other mechanical ventilation strategies, including prone positioning, high positive endexpiratory pressure, recruitment maneuvers, neuromuscular blocking agents and pulmonary vasodilators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To characterize the transport of severely ill patients with extracorporeal respiratory or cardiovascular support. Methods: A series of 18 patients in the state of São Paulo, Brazil is described. All patients were consecutively evaluated by a multidisciplinary team at the hospital of origin. The patients were rescued, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support was provided on site. The patients were then transported to referral hospitals for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support. Data were retrieved from a prospectively collected database. Results: From 2011 to 2017, 18 patients aged 29 (25 - 31) years with a SAPS 3 of 84 (68 - 92) and main primary diagnosis of leptospirosis and influenza A (H1N1) virus were transported to three referral hospitals in São Paulo. A median distance of 39 (15 - 82) km was traveled on each rescue mission during a period of 360 (308 - 431) min. A median of one (0 - 2) nurse, three (2 - 3) physicians, and one (0 - 1) physical therapist was present per rescue. Seventeen rescues were made by ambulance, and one rescue was made by helicopter. The observed complications were interruption in the energy supply to the pump in two cases (11%) and oxygen saturation < 70% in two cases. Thirteen patients (72%) survived and were discharged from the hospital. Among the nonsurvivors, there were two cases of brain death, two cases of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, and one case of irreversible pulmonary fibrosis. Conclusions: Transportation with extracorporeal support occurred without serious complications, and the hospital survival rate was high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A case of a 30 year-old man presenting with severe systemic chickenpox with refractory hypoxemia, central nervous system vasculitis and anuric renal failure is described. Ambulance transportation and support using veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation were necessary until the patient recovered. Ultimately, the potential use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support in low-middle income countries to manage common diseases is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In humans, arteriovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (AV-ECMO) is a life support technique capable to assume in part or totally lungs functions, when these are not able to promote appropriated hematosis. To know the viability of this method in dogs (Canis familiaris), the present study applied AVECMO in ten adult mixed-breed dogs, with expected three hours of duration to each experiment. In Group 1 (n=4), mechanical ventilation and dopamine continuous infusion were associated with the extracorporeal support. In Group 2 (n=6), any other measure of intensive care was used concomitantly AV-ECMO. Blood gas analysis and lactate levels were evaluated every 10 minutes and one hour, respectively, from arterial blood samples. Inotropic support improved the blood flow through the circuit promoting a better tissue perfusion with oxygenated blood, suggested by the lactate and mean arterial pressure levels measured. Mechanical ventilation used simultaneously with AV-ECMO was able to further improve levels of blood gases. Therefore, if applied along intensive care support, AV-ECMO is a viable technique for use in dogs with respiratory failure refractory to conventional treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]