Biomarkers of Cholestasis and Liver Injury in the Early Phase of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and Their Pathophysiological Value

Background: Impaired liver function and cholestasis are frequent findings in critically ill patients and are associated with poor outcomes. We tested the hypothesis that hypoxic liver injury and hypoxic cholangiocyte injury are detectable very early in patients with ARDS, may depend on the severity of hypoxemia, and may be aggravated by the use of rescue therapies (high PEEP level and prone positioning) but could be attenuated by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Methods: In 70 patients with ARDS, aspartate-aminotransferase (AST), alanin-aminotransferase (ALT) and gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT) were measured on the day of the diagnosis of ARDS and three more consecutive days (day 3, day 5, day 10), total bile acids were measured on day 0, 3, and 5. Results: AST levels increased on day 0 and remained constant until day 5, then dropped to normal on day 10 (day 0: 66.5 U/l; day 3: 60.5 U/l; day 5: 63.5 U/l, day 10: 32.1 U/l), ALT levels showed the exact opposite kinetic. GGT was already elevated on day 0 (91.5 U/l) and increased further throughout (day 3: 163.5 U/l, day 5: 213 U/l, day 10: 307 U/l), total bile acids levels increased significantly from day 0 to day 3 (p = 0.019) and day 0 to day 5 (p < 0.001), but not between day 3 and day 5 (p = 0.217). Total bile acids levels were significantly correlated to GGT on day 0 (p < 0.001), day 3 (p = 0.02), and in a trend on day 5 (p = 0.055). PEEP levels were significantly correlated with plasma levels of AST (day 3), ALT (day 5) and GGT (day 10). Biomarker levels were not associated with the use of ECMO, prone position, the cause of ARDS, and paO2. Conclusions: We found no evidence of hypoxic liver injury or hypoxic damage to cholangiocytes being caused by the severity of hypoxemia in ARDS patients during the very early phase of the disease. Additionally, mean PEEP level, prone positioning, and ECMO treatment did not have an impact in this regard. Nevertheless, GGT levels were elevated from day zero and rising, this increase was not related to paO2, prone position, ECMO treatment, or mean PEEP, but correlated to total bile acid levels.

Placental pathology in a pregnant woman with severe COVID-19 and successful ECMO treatment: a case report

Background Infection with SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy can lead to a severe condition in the patient, which is challenging for obstetricians and anaesthesiologists. Upon severe COVID-19 and a lack of improvement after multidrug therapy and mechanical ventilation, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is introduced as the last option. Such treatment is critical in women with very preterm pregnancy when each additional day of the intrauterine stay is vital for the survival of the newborn. Case presentation We report a case of a 38-year-old woman at 27 weeks of gestation treated with multidrug therapy and ECMO. The woman was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with increasing fever, cough and dyspnoea. The course of the pregnancy was uncomplicated. She was otherwise healthy. At admission, she presented with severe dyspnoea, with oxygen saturation (SpO2) of 95% on passive oxygenation, heart rate of 145/min, and blood pressure of 145/90. After confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 infection, she received steroids, remdesivir and convalescent plasma therapy. The foetus was in good condition. No signs of an intrauterine infection were visible. Due to tachypnea of 40/min and SpO2 of 90%, the woman was intubated and mechanically ventilated. Due to circulatory failure, the prothrombotic activity of the coagulation system, further saturation worsening, and poor control of sedation, she was qualified for veno-venous ECMO. An elective caesarean section was performed at 29 weeks on ECMO treatment in the ICU. A preterm female newborn was delivered with an Apgar score of 7 and a birth weight of 1440 g. The newborn had no laboratory or clinical evidence of COVID-19. The placenta showed the following pathological changes: large subchorionic haematoma, maternal vascular malperfusion, marginal cord insertion, and chorangioma. Conclusions This case presents the successful use of ECMO in a pregnant woman with acute respiratory distress syndrome in the course of severe COVID-19. Further research is required to explain the aetiology of placental disorders (e.g., maternal vascular malperfusion lesions or thrombotic influence of COVID-19). ECMO treatment in pregnant women remains challenging; thus, it should be used with caution. Long-term assessment may help to evaluate the safety of the ECMO procedure in pregnant women.

Persisting Motor Function Problems in School-Aged Survivors of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia

Background and Objectives: Children born with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) and treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), are at risk for motor function impairment during childhood. We hypothesized that all children born with CDH are at risk for persistent motor function impairment, irrespective of ECMO-treatment. We longitudinally assessed these children's motor function.Methods: Children with CDH with and without ECMO-treatment, born 1999–2007, who joined our structural prospective follow-up program were assessed with the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (M-ABC) at 5, 8, 12 years. Z-scores were used in a general linear model for longitudinal analysis.Results: We included 55 children, of whom 25 had been treated with ECMO. Forty-three (78%) were evaluated at three ages. Estimated mean (95% CI) z-scores from the general linear model were −0.67 (−0.96 to −0.39) at 5 years of age, −0.35 (−0.65 to −0.05) at 8 years, and −0.46 (−0.76 to −0.17) at 12 years. The 5- and 8-years scores differed significantly (p = 0.02). Motor development was significantly below the norm in non-ECMO treated patients at five years; −0.44 (−0.83 to −0.05), and at all ages in the ECMO-treated-patients: −0.90 (−1.32 to −0.49), −0.45 (−0.90 to −0.02) and −0.75 (−1.2 to −0.34) at 5, 8, and 12 years, respectively. Length of hospital stay was negatively associated with estimated total z-score M-ABC (p = 0.004 multivariate analysis).Conclusion: School-age children born with CDH are at risk for motor function impairment, which persists in those who received ECMO-treatment. Especially for them long-term follow up is recommended.

The Saviour of a Pregnant Woman With Fulminant Myocarditis ——Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: A Case Report

INTRODUCTION: There are no reports regarding a pregnant woman with fulminant myocarditis underwent Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO). Hence, we report a case of successful ECMO treatment of fulminant myocarditis puerpera. CASE PRESENTATION: A 32-year-old puerpera was admitted to our hospital with menopause for 7 months, fetal movement for 3 months and fever for 1 day. After admission, the patient's body temperature increased repeatedly, heart rate increased, and the whole process C-reactive protein increased rapidly. Considered a diagnosis of fulminant myocarditis. After antiviral and cardioprotective treatment, the heart function progressively worsened. Pregnancy was terminated, the newborn was intubated in the neonatal room for rescue after surgery, and ECMO treatment was given after the puerpera was transferred to the intensive care unit. Finally, the patient and the baby have been safely discharged from hospital. DISCUSSION: ECMO can provide cardiac and respiratory support. Fulminant myocarditis is common in children, adolescents and particularly pregnant women who had the highest mortality rate. In the pregnant woman with fulminant myocarditis described in this report, antiviral treatment only transiently improved heart function and then heart function progressively worsened. After receiving ECMO therapy, the patient's cardiac function has improved markedly. The patient was then successfully weaned from ECMO. To our knowledge, this is the first report of pregnant woman in whom ECMO was part of the treatment for fulminant myocarditis. CONCLUSION: We report a case of successful ECMO treatment of fulminant myocarditis puerpera. ECMO can be the treatment of choice for pregnant women with fulminant myocarditis.

Discussion on Nursing Mode of Ecmo in Treating Severe Patients

Objective: To evaluate the nursing effect of Ecmo treatment for severe patients.Methods :66 patients treated with extracorporeal membrane pulmonary oxygenation were included in the experimental data. From August 2018 to August 2019, the patients were divided into experimental group and reference group by random digital table method, each group was 33 cases. Routine nursing and targeted nursing were performed to compare the complications of the two groups.Results :(1) The correlation index of extracorporeal membrane pulmonary oxygenation treatment before treatment was consistent, P>0.05, the oxygen saturation and oxygen partial pressure of 2 h、4h after treatment in the experimental group were higher than those in the reference group, compared with the reference group, the carbon dioxide partial pressure of 2 h、4h after treatment in the experimental group was lower, showing statistical significance of data test (PP>0.05). (2) The incidence of infection, bleeding, coagulation, embolism and hypotension in the experimental group (12.12%) was lower than that in the reference group (45.45%), showing statistical significance (P<0.05).Conclusion: the specific nursing effect of extracorporeal membrane pulmonary oxygenation in severe patients can effectively improve the success rate of treatment, and the possibility of complications during treatment is low.

Contraindications to the Initiation of Veno-Venous ECMO for Severe Acute Respiratory Failure in Adults: A Systematic Review and Practical Approach Based on the Current Literature

(1) Background: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is increasingly used for acute respiratory failure with few absolute but many relative contraindications. The provider in charge often has a difficult time weighing indications and contraindications to anticipate if the patient will benefit from this treatment, a decision that often decides life and death for the patient. To assist in this process in coming to a good evidence-based decision, we reviewed the available literature. (2) Methods: We performed a systematic review through a literature search of the MEDLINE database of former and current absolute and relative contraindications to the initiation of ECMO treatment. (3) Results: The following relative and absolute contraindications were identified in the literature: absolute—refusal of the use of extracorporeal techniques by the patient, advanced stage of cancer, fatal intracerebral hemorrhage/cerebral herniation/intractable intracranial hypertension, irreversible destruction of the lung parenchyma without the possibility of transplantation, and contraindications to lung transplantation; relative—advanced age, immunosuppressed patients/pharmacological immunosuppression, injurious ventilator settings > 7 days, right-heart failure, hematologic malignancies, especially bone marrow transplantation and graft-versus-host disease, SAPS II score ≥ 60 points, SOFA score > 12 points, PRESERVE score ≥ 5 points, RESP score ≤ −2 points, PRESET score ≥ 6 points, and “do not attempt resuscitation” order (DN(A)R status). (4) Conclusions: We provide a simple-to-follow algorithm that incorporates absolute and relative contraindications to the initiation of ECMO treatment. This algorithm attempts to weigh pros and cons regarding the benefit for an individual patient and hopefully assists caregivers to make better, informed decisions.

Survival to Hospital Discharge Rate and Factors Affecting Survival Rate of Adult Patients Under Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (VA ECMO) Treatment in King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital

Background: Nowadays, venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO) is more acceptable to patients with refractory cardiogenic shock. The number of patients receiving VA ECMO treatment is increasing. However, mortality rate of patients cannulating VA ECMO is still high. Furthermore, VA ECMO treatment is expensive, requiring lots of resources and having lots of limitations. As a result, choosing patient wisely for cannulated VA ECMO is important. This is especially true for treatment in developing countries. Objective: To find the survival rate of patients receiving VA ECMO treatment and factors that affected survival rate. Materials and Methods: The present study was a retrospective study using the electronic medical database. Patients with cannulated VA ECMO between 2012 and 2019 were included in the study. Analyses were based on univariate and multivariate logistic regression to find factors associated with survival. Results: The authors found that out of 81 patients included in the present study, there were 20 survivors, representing a survival rate of 24.69%. Based on Univariate Analysis, factors measured at baseline that affected the survival rate were higher Glasgow Coma Scale, lower arterial blood gas carbon dioxide (ABG PaCO₂), lower blood level of lactate before cannulating VA ECMO, lower APACHE II, lower SOFA scores, and predicted mortality rate by SOFA score. Using multivariate regression, the ABG PaCO₂ and blood lactate level were significant factors that can predict survival rate (odd ratio 0.91, 95% CI 0.85 to 0.98 and 0.90, 95% CI 0.81 to 0.99, respectively). Conclusion: The present study found the survival rate of patients cannulating VA ECMO was 24.69%. The lower value of ABG PaCO₂ and lactate are significant factors that lead to higher survival rate. These findings lead to recommendations that, for an effective VA ECMO treatment, patients should not be at a severe sickness state, whose ABG PaCO₂ and lactate level should be at low levels. Keywords: Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO); Cardiogenic shock; In hospital survival rate; Factors affecting survival rate

Inter-hospital transport on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in various health systems

The feasibility and the recognition of the possibility to transport patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) aroused in the 1970s. The number of transporting facilities worldwide was less than 20 in the beginning of the second Millennium. In 2009 the H1N1 pandemic and a publication showing survival benefit for adult patients transported to a hospital with ECMO resource increased both awareness and interest for ECMO treatment. The number of transport organizations increased rapidly. As of today, the number of transport organizations increases world-wide, though some centers where ECMO is an established treatment report decreasing numbers of transports. Since the introduction of the more user-friendly equipment (ECMO-2 era) increasing numbers of low-volume ECMO centers perform these complex treatments. This overview is based on the current literature, personal experience in the field, and information from the authors’ network on the organization of ECMO transport systems in different settings of health care around the globe. Registry data since the entry into ECMO-2 shows that the number of ECMO treatments matter. The more treatments performed at a given center the better the patient outcome, and the better these resources are spent for the population served. A Hub-and-S poke model for national or regional organization for respiratory ECMO (rECMO) should be advocated where central high-volume ECMO center (Hub) serves a population of 10 to 15 million. Peripheral units (Spokes) play an important part in emergency cannulations keeping the patient on ECMO support till a mobile ECMO team retrieves the patient. This ECMO team is preferably organized from the Hub and brings competencies for assessment and decision to initiate ECMO treatment bedside at any hospital, for cannulation, and a safe transport to any destination.