The ongoing coronavirus-19 disease (COVID-19) has taught us that early mobilization is essential for functional recovery during and after prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) stay. This especially ...applies for patients receiving a challenging combination of prolonged invasive treatments such as mechanical ventilation (MV) and extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). This case report describes the recovery of skeletal muscle strength and physical function in a patient (post) COVID-19 during ICU stay.
A 54 year old female patient was diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia, and ultimately needed ICU treatment with MV and ECMO for 69 days during which she received physiotherapy treatment.
The patient recovered from intensive care acquired muscle weakness (ICUAW) at day 53, resulting in the ability to walk at day 62. She was discharged from the ICU after 69 days with the ability to walk 20 meters with support of one person and a mobility aid. No evident adverse events were noted during or after physiotherapy sessions.
Early mobilization is feasible and safe in a patient (post) COVID-19 with prolonged ECMO treatment and facilitates functional recovery during ICU stay. This single case observation should be handled with caution and needs further validation.
To investigate the impact of thoracic ultrasound (TUS) examinations on clinical management in adult ICU patients.
A prospective international observational study.
Four centers in The Netherlands and ...Italy.
Adult ICU patients (> 18 yr) that received a clinically indicated lung ultrasound examination.
None.
Clinicians performing TUS completed a pre- and post-examination case report form. Patient characteristics, TUS, and resulting clinical effects were recorded. First, change of management, defined as a TUS-induced change in clinical impression leading to a change in treatment plan, was reported. Second, execution of intended management changes within 8 hours was verified. Third, change in fluid balance after 8 hours was calculated. A total of 725 TUS performed by 111 operators across 534 patients (mean age 63 ± 15.0, 70% male) were included. Almost half of TUS caused a change in clinical impression, which resulted in change of management in 39% of cases. The remainder of TUS confirmed the clinical impression, while a minority (4%) did not contribute. Eighty-nine percent of management changes indicated by TUS were executed within 8 hours. TUS examinations that led to a change in fluid management also led to distinct and appropriate changes in patient's fluid balance.
In this international observational study in adult ICU patients, use of TUS had a major impact on clinical management. These results provide grounds for future randomized controlled trials to determine if TUS-induced changes in decision-making also lead to improved health outcomes.
A 54-year-old woman was referred for veno-venous extracorporeal oxygenation membrane (VV-ECMO) due to refractory hypoxic respiratory failure caused by COVID-19, despite mechanical ventilation and ...prolonged prone positioning.
Background
Supplementation of calcium during continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH) with citrate anticoagulation is usually titrated using a target blood ionized calcium concentration. Plasma ...calcium concentrations may be normal despite substantial calcium loss, by mobilization of calcium from the skeleton. Aim of our study is to develop an equation to calculate CVVH calcium and to retrospectively calculate CVVH calcium balance in a cohort of ICU-patients.
Methods
This is a single-center retrospective observational cohort study. In a subcohort of patients, all calcium excretion measurements in patients treated with citrate CVVH were randomly divided into a development set (
n
= 324 in 42 patients) and a validation set (
n
= 441 in 42 different patients). Using mixed linear models, we developed an equation to calculate calcium excretion from routinely available parameters. We retrospectively calculated calcium balance in 788 patients treated with citrate CVVH between 2014 and 2021.
Results
Calcium excretion (mmol/24 h) was − 1.2877 + 0.646*Ca
blood,total
* ultrafiltrate (l/24 h) + 0.107*blood flow (ml/h). The mean error of the estimation was − 1.0 ± 6.7 mmol/24 h, the mean absolute error was 4.8 ± 4.8 mmol/24 h. Calculated calcium excretion was 105.8 ± 19.3 mmol/24 h. Mean daily CVVH calcium balance was − 12.0 ± 20.0 mmol/24 h. Mean cumulative calcium balance ranged from − 3687 to 448 mmol.
Conclusion
During citrate CVVH, calcium balance was negative in most patients, despite supplementation of calcium based on plasma ionized calcium levels. This may contribute to demineralization of the skeleton. We propose that calcium supplementation should be based on both plasma ionized calcium and a simple calculation of calcium excretion by CVVH.
Graphical abstract
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been increasingly used in the treatment of refractory cardiac arrest and postarrest cardiogenic shock. We propose a technique for percutaneous ...decannulation of femoral venoarterial ECMO cannulas by using the MANTA vascular closure device, designed to close large-bore arteriotomies. This technique significantly simplifies the decannulation and might diminish the potential complications caused by the standard surgical removal.
On utilise de plus en plus l’oxygénation par membrane extracorporelle (ECMO, de l’anglais extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) dans le traitement de l’arrêt cardiaque réfractaire et du choc cardiogénique post-arrêt cardiaque. Nous proposons une technique percutanée de décanulation des canules de l’ECMO veino-artérielle fémorale à l’aide du dispositif de fermeture vasculaire MANTA, qui est conçu pour fermer les artériotomies des artères de gros calibre. Cette technique simplifie considérablement la décanulation et diminuerait les complications potentielles causées par l’extraction chirurgicale habituelle.
•This is a multicenter case-control study conducted at four intensive care units•COVID-19 was highly associated with catheter-related thrombosis•The strong association seems to confirm the suggestion ...of an overall hypercoagulable state
Purpose: This study reports on survival and health related quality of life (HRQOL) after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment and the associated costs in the first year.
Materials and ...Methods: Prospective observational cohort study patients receiving ECMO in the intensive care unit during August 2017 and July 2019. We analyzed all healthcare costs in the first year after index admission. Follow-up included a HRQOL analysis using the EQ-5D-5L at 6 and 12 months.
Results: The study enrolled 428 patients with an ECMO run during their critical care admission. The one-year mortality was 50%. Follow up was available for 124 patients at 12 months. Survivors reported a favorable mean HRQOL (utility) of 0.71 (scale 0–1) at 12 months of 0.77. The overall health status (VAS, scale 0–100) was reported as 73.6 at 12 months. Mean total costs during the first year were $204,513 ± 211,590 with hospital costs as the major factor contributing to the total costs. Follow up costs were $53,752 ± 65,051 and costs of absenteeism were $7317 ± 17,036.
Conclusions: At one year after hospital admission requiring ECMO the health-related quality of life is favorable with substantial costs but considering the survival might be acceptable. However, our results are limited by loss of follow up. So it may be possible that only the best-recovered patients returned their questionnaires. This potential bias might lead to higher costs and worse HRQOL in a real-life scenario.
•One year costs after ICU admission with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation are high.•Hospital costs are the major factor contributing to the total costs.•Health related quality of life is favorable and comparable to the general population.
Thanks to advancements in percutaneous cardiac interventions, an expanding patient population now qualifies for treatment through percutaneous endovascular procedures. High-risk interventions far ...exceed coronary interventions and include transcatheter aortic valve replacement, endovascular management of acute pulmonary embolism and ventricular tachycardia ablation. Given the frequent impairment of ventricular function in these patients, frequently deteriorating during percutaneous interventions, it is hypothesized that mechanical ventricular support may improve periprocedural survival and subsequently patient outcome. In this narrative review, we aimed to provide the relevant evidence found for the clinical use of percutaneous mechanical circulatory support (pMCS). We searched the Pubmed database for articles related to pMCS and to pMCS and invasive cath lab procedures. The articles and their references were evaluated for relevance. We provide an overview of the clinically relevant evidence for intra-aortic balloon pump, Impella, TandemHeart and ECMO and their role as pMCS in high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention, transcatheter valvular procedures, ablations and high-risk pulmonary embolism. We found that the right choice of periprocedural pMCS could provide a solution for the hemodynamic challenges during these procedures. However, to enhance the understanding of the safety and effectiveness of pMCS devices in an often high-risk population, more randomized research is needed.
A 27-year-old man, with a history of renal transplantation, presented with acute kidney failure and Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia. The patient developed severe acute respiratory failure and ...required support by veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for a total of 59 days. During this period, the patient had extremely low tidal volumes using a lung protective ventilation strategy and intermittent prone positioning was used to optimise oxygenation. There was full recovery of pulmonary and partial recovery of renal function.
Background
Lung ultrasound can adequately monitor disease severity in pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome. We hypothesize lung ultrasound can adequately monitor COVID-19 pneumonia in ...critically ill patients.
Methods
Adult patients with COVID-19 pneumonia admitted to the intensive care unit of two academic hospitals who underwent a 12-zone lung ultrasound and a chest CT examination were included. Baseline characteristics, and outcomes including composite endpoint death or ICU stay > 30 days were recorded. Lung ultrasound and CT images were quantified as a lung ultrasound score involvement index (LUSI) and CT severity involvement index (CTSI). Primary outcome was the correlation, agreement, and concordance between LUSI and CTSI. Secondary outcome was the association of LUSI and CTSI with the composite endpoints.
Results
We included 55 ultrasound examinations in 34 patients, which were 88% were male, with a mean age of 63 years and mean P/F ratio of 151. The correlation between LUSI and CTSI was strong (
r
= 0.795), with an overall 15% bias, and limits of agreement ranging − 40 to 9.7. Concordance between changes in sequentially measured LUSI and CTSI was 81%. In the univariate model, high involvement on LUSI and CTSI were associated with a composite endpoint. In the multivariate model, LUSI was the only remaining independent predictor.
Conclusions
Lung ultrasound can be used as an alternative for chest CT in monitoring COVID-19 pneumonia in critically ill patients as it can quantify pulmonary involvement, register changes over the course of the disease, and predict death or ICU stay > 30 days.
Trial registration
: NTR, NL8584. Registered 01 May 2020—retrospectively registered,
https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/8584
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