Heparin-free veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in a multiple trauma patient: A case report

Veno-arterial-venous extracorporal membrane oxygenation (V-AV ECMO) in a patient in ARDS and cardiac instability after severe polytrauma

The role of extracorporeal life support (ECLS) in critically ill trauma patients is underutilized, mainly due to concerns of anticoagulation. However, short-term ECLS in these patients can be safely performed with no or minimal systemic anticoagulation. Case series show favorable outcomes in trauma patients with veno-venous (V-V) and veno-arterial (V-A) ECMO, respectively, but there are only a few case reports of successful veno-arterio-venous (V-AV) ECMO in polytrauma patients. We report on a 63-year-old female admitted to our emergency department following a severe car accident who was successfully treated in a multidisciplinary approach, including bridging to damage control surgery and recovery with a V-AV ECMO.

Utilization and Outcomes of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Following Traumatic Brain Injury in the United States

Objectives: Describe contemporary ECMO utilization patterns among patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and examine clinical outcomes among TBI patients requiring ECMO. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Premier Healthcare Database (PHD) between January 2016 to June 2020. Subjects: Adult patients with TBI who were mechanically ventilated and stratified by exposure to ECMO. Results: Among patients exposed to ECMO, we examined the following clinical outcomes: hospital LOS, ICU LOS, duration of mechanical ventilation, and hospital mortality. Of our initial cohort (n = 59,612), 118 patients (0.2%) were placed on ECMO during hospitalization. Most patients were placed on ECMO within the first 2 days of admission (54.3%). Factors associated with ECMO utilization included younger age (OR 0.96, 95% CI (0.95–0.97)), higher injury severity score (ISS) (OR 1.03, 95% CI (1.01–1.04)), vasopressor utilization (2.92, 95% CI (1.90–4.48)), tranexamic acid utilization (OR 1.84, 95% CI (1.12–3.04)), baseline comorbidities (OR 1.06, 95% CI (1.03–1.09)), and care in a teaching hospital (OR 3.04, 95% CI 1.31–7.05). A moderate degree (ICC = 19.5%) of variation in ECMO use was explained at the individual hospital level. Patients exposed to ECMO had longer median (IQR) hospital and ICU length of stay (LOS) [26 days (11–36) versus 9 days (4–8) and 19.5 days (8–32) versus 5 days (2–11), respectively] and a longer median (IQR) duration of mechanical ventilation [18 days (8–31) versus 3 days (2–8)]. Patients exposed to ECMO experienced a hospital mortality rate of 33.9%, compared to 21.2% of TBI patients unexposed to ECMO. Conclusions: ECMO utilization in mechanically ventilated patients with TBI is rare, with significant variation across hospitals. The impact of ECMO on healthcare utilization and hospital mortality following TBI is comparable to non-TBI conditions requiring ECMO. Further research is necessary to better understand the role of ECMO following TBI and identify patients who may benefit from this therapy.

Satisfactory outcome with activated clotting time <160 seconds in extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation

Patients undergoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) prior to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) can have severely altered physiology, including that of the coagulation pathway. This could complicate the extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) management. We aimed to show that targeting an activated clotting time (ACT) < 160 seconds does not affect the complication rates in these patients. In this single-centered retrospective study, the medical records of 81 adult patients who were on ECMO support from March 2017 to March 2020 were reviewed. We compared the low ACT and conventional ACT groups, which were defined on the basis of the median of the ACT values of the included patients (160 seconds). The primary outcomes included bleeding or thromboembolic events. This study included 32 patients, who were divided into the low (n = 14) and conventional (n = 18) ACT groups. There were 2 cases of gastrointestinal bleeding (P = .183), one of intracranial hemorrhage (P = .437), and one of peripheral skin color change (P = .437) in the low ACT group. There was one case of prolonged bleeding at the cannulation site (P = 1.000) reported in the conventional ACT group. The successful weaning rate differed significantly between the low and conventional ACT groups (92.9% vs 50.0%; P = .019). Maintaining the ACT lower than the conventional ACT in patients requiring ECPR did not show a significant increase in the thromboembolic risk. Therefore, targeting a low ACT should be considered for this particular group of patients.

Thrombosis and coagulopathy in COVID-19 patients rceiving ECMO: A narrative review of current literature

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is an established part of the treatment algorithm for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related acute respiratory distress syndrome. An intense inflammatory response may cause an imbalance in the coagulation cascade making both thrombosis and bleeding common and notable features of the clinical management of these patients. Large observational and retrospective studies provide a better understanding of the pathophysiology and management of bleeding and thrombosis in COVID-19 patients requiring ECMO. Clinically significant bleeding, including intracerebral hemorrhage, is an independent predictor of mortality, and thrombosis (particularly pulmonary embolism) is associated with mortality, especially if occurring with right ventricular dysfunction. The incidence of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia is higher than the general patient cohort with acute respiratory distress syndrome or other indications for ECMO. The use of laboratory parameters to predict bleeding or thrombosis has a limited role. In this review, the authors discuss the complex pathophysiology of bleeding and thrombosis observed in patients with COVID-19 during ECMO support, and their effects on outcomes.

Basics of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation

OVERVIEW

The use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is becoming commonplace worldwide in ICUs for the care of patients with respiratory and/or cardiac failure. Understanding the use of ECMO and the management of these complex patients will be vital to current and future clinicians as ECMO use continues to grow.

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.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation combined with continuous renal replacement therapy for the treatment of severe burns: current status and challenges

Severe burns often cause various systemic complications and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, which is the main cause of death. The lungs and kidneys are vulnerable organs in patients with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome after burns. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) have been gradually applied in clinical practice and are beneficial for severe burn patients with refractory respiratory failure or renal dysfunction. However, the literature on ECMO combined with CRRT for the treatment of severe burns is limited. Here, we focus on the current status of ECMO combined with CRRT for the treatment of severe burns and the associated challenges, including the timing of treatment, nutrition support, heparinization and wound management, catheter-related infection and drug dosing in CRRT. With the advancement of medical technology, ECMO combined with CRRT will be further optimized to improve the outcomes of patients with severe burns.

Evaluation, Treatment, and Impact of Neurologic Injury in Adult Patients on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: a Review

Purpose

Extracorporeal membrane oxygen (ECMO) is increasingly used as an advanced form of life support for cardiac and respiratory failure. Unfortunately, in infrequent instances, circulatory and/or respiratory recovery is overshadowed by neurologic injury that can occur in patients who require ECMO. As such, knowledge of ECMO and its implications on diagnosis and treatment of neurologic injuries is indispensable for intensivists and neurospecialists.

Recent findings

The most common neurologic injuries include intracerebral hemorrhage, ischemic stroke, seizure, cerebral edema, intracranial hypertension, global cerebral hypoxia/anoxia, and brain death. These result from events prior to initiation of ECMO, failure of ECMO to provide adequate oxygen delivery, and/or complications that occur during ECMO. ECMO survivors also experience neurological and psychological sequelae similar to other survivors of critical illness.

Summary

Since many of the risk factors for neurologic injury cannot be easily mitigated, early diagnosis and intervention are crucial to limit morbidity and mortality from neurologic injury during ECMO.

Heparin-free adventitia pulmonary oxygenation in the treatment of trauma complicated with severe pulmonary infection: a case report

The application of Venovenous (VV) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in trauma and patients with severe bleeding tendency has been controversial. However, VV ECMO without anticoagulation contributes to reducing the risk of bleeding during ECMO maintenance. VV ECMO serves critical roles in therapy of patients with severe pulmonary infection and failure in conventional therapy. The common peripheral catheterization approach for VV ECMO is femoral vein-internal jugular vein catheterization, and bilateral femoral vein catheterization can also achieve the purpose of respiratory support for patients with limited cervical catheterization. In this case report, we described a patient with post-traumatic cervical spinal cord injury and severe pulmonary infection who was successfully treated with heparin-free intravenous ECMO.

Severe Hypothermia and Frostbite Requiring ECMO and Four Limb Amputations

Severe hypothermia and frostbite can result in significant morbidity and mortality. We present a case of a patient with severe hypothermia and frostbite due to cold exposure after a snowmobile crash. He presented in cardiac arrest with a core temperature of 19°C requiring prolonged cardiopulmonary resuscitation, active internal rewarming, venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and subsequently amputations of all four extremities. Although severe hypothermia and frostbite can be a fatal condition, the quick action of Emergency Medical Services, emergency physicians, trauma surgeons, cardiothoracic surgeons, intensivists, and the burn team contributed to a successful recovery for this patient including a good neurological outcome. This case highlights the importance of a strong interdisciplinary team in treating this condition.