Normothermic regional perfusion mobile teams in controlled donation after circulatory death pathway: Evidence and peculiarities

To facilitate the implementation of controlled donation after circulatory death(cDCD)programs even in hospitals not equipped with a local Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation(ECMO)team(Spokes),some countries and Italian Regions have launched a local cDCD network with a ECMO mobile team who move from Hub hospitals to Spokes for normothermic regional perfusion(NRP)implantation in the setting of a cDCD pathway.While ECMO teams have been clearly defined by the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization,regarding composition,responsibilities and training programs,no clear,widely accepted indications are to date available for NRP teams.Although existing NRP mobile networks were developed due to the urgent need to increase the number of cDCDs,there is now the necessity for transplantation medicine to identify the peculiarities and responsibility of a NRP team for all those centers launching a cDCD pathway.Thus,in the present manuscript we summarized the character-istics of an ECMO mobile team,highlighting similarities and differences with the NRP mobile team.We also assessed existing evidence on NRP teams with the goal of identifying the characteristic and essential features of an NRP mobile team for a cDCD program,especially for those centers who are starting the program.Differences were identified between the mobile ECMO team and NRP mobile team.The common essential feature for both mobile teams is high skills and experience to reduce complications and,in the case of cDCD,to reduce the total warm ischemic time.Dedicated training programs should be developed for the launch of de novo NRP teams.

Right ventricle dysfunction does not predict mortality in patients with SARS-CoV-2-related acute respiratory distress syndrome on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support

BACKGROUND The prognostic role of right ventricle dilatation and dysfunction(RVDD)has not been elucidated in patients with coronavirus disease(COVID)-related respiratory failure refractory to standard treatment needing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation(ECMO)support.AIM To assess whether pre veno-venous(VV)ECMO RVDD were related to inintensive care unit(ICU)mortality.METHODS We enrolled 61 patients with COVID-related acute respiratory distress syndrome refractory to conventional treatment submitted to VV ECMO and consecutively admitted to our ICU(an ECMO referral center)from 31th March 2020 to 31th August 2021.An echocardiographic exam was performed immediately before VV ECMO implantation.RESULTS Males were prevalent(73.8%)and patients with a body mass index>30 kg/m^(2) were the majority(46/61,75%).The overall in-ICU mortality rate was 54.1%(33/61).RVDD was detectable in more than half of the population(34/61,55.7%)and associated with higher simplified organ functional assessment(SOFA)values(P=0.029)and a longer mechanical ventilation duration prior to ECMO support(P=0.046).Renal replacement therapy was more frequently needed in RVDD patients(P=0.002).A higher in-ICU mortality(P=0.024)was observed in RVDD patients.No echo variables were independent predictors of in-ICU death.CONCLUSION In patients with COVID-related respiratory failure on ECMO support,RVDD(dilatation and dysfunction)is a common finding and identifies a subset of patients characterized by a more severe disease(as indicated by higher SOFA values and need of renal replacement therapy)and by a higher in-ICU mortality.RVDD(also when considered separately)did not result independently associated with in-ICU mortality in these patients.

Haemodynamic management in brain death donors:Influence of aetiology of brain death

BACKGROUND In brain death donors(BDDs),donor management is the key in the complex donation process.Donor management goals,which are standards of care or clinical parameters,have been considered an acceptable barometer of successful donor management.AIM To test the hypothesis that aetiology of brain death could influence haemodynamic management in BDDs.METHODS Haemodynamic data(blood pressure,heart rate,central venous pressure,lactate,urine output,and vasoactive drugs)of BDDs were recorded on intensive care unit(ICU)admission and during the 6-h observation period(Time 1 at the beginning;Time 2 at the end).RESULTS The study population was divided into three groups according to the aetiology of brain death:Stroke(n=71),traumatic brain injury(n=48),and postanoxic encephalopathy(n=19).On ICU admission,BDDs with postanoxic encephalopathy showed the lowest values of systolic and diastolic blood pressure associated with higher values of heart rate and lactate and a higher need of norepinephrine and other vasoactive drugs.At the beginning of the 6-h period(Time 1),BDDs with postanoxic encephalopathy showed higher values of heart rate,lactate,and central venous pressure together with a higher need of other vasoactive drugs.CONCLUSION According to our data,haemodynamic management of BDDs is affected by the aetiology of brain death.BDDs with postanoxic encephalopathy have higher requirements for norepinephrine and other vasoactive drugs.

Clinical significance of lactate in acute cardiac patients

Lactate, as a metabolite of easy and quick assessment, has been studied over time in critically ill patients in order to evaluate its prognostic ability. The present review is focused on the prognostic role of lactate levels in acute cardiac patients(that is with acute coronary syndrome, cardiogenic shock, cardiac arrest, non including post cardiac surgery patients). In patients with STelevation myocardial infarction treated with mechanical revascularization, hyperlactatemia identified a subset of patients at higher risk for early death and in-hospital complications, being strictly related mainly to hemodynamic derangement. The prognostic impact of hyperlactatemia on mortality has been documented in patients with cardiogenic shock and in those with cardiac arrest even if there is no cut-off value of lactate to be associated with worse outcome or to guide resuscitation or hemodynamic management. Therapeutic hypothermia seems to affect per se lactate values which have been shown to progressively decrease during hypothermia. The mechanism(s) accounting for lactate levels during hypothemia seem to be multiple ranging from the metabolic effects of reduced temperatures to the hemodynamic effects of hypothermia(i.e., reduced need of vasopressor agents). Serial lactate measurements over time, or lactate clearance, have been reported to be clinically more reliable than lactate absolute value also in acute cardiac patients. Despite differences in study design, timing of lactate measurements and type of acute cardiac conditions(i.e., cardiogenic shock, cardiac arrest, refractory cardiac arrest), available evidence strongly suggests that higher lactate levels can be observed on admission in non-survivors and that higher lactate clearance is associated with better outcome.

Clinical significance of glycated hemoglobin in the acute phase of ST elevation myocardial infarction

In population-based studies,including diabetic and nondiabetic cohorts,glycated hemoglobin A1c(HbA1c) has been reported as an independent predictor of allcause and cardiovascular disease mortality.Data on the prognostic role of HbA1c in patients with acute myocardial infarction(MI) are not univocal since they stem from studies which mainly differ in patients' selection criteria,therapy(thrombolysis vs mechanical revascularization) and number consistency.The present review is focused on available evidence on the prognostic significance of HbA1c measured in the acute phase in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI) submitted to primary percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI).We furthermore highlighted the role of HbA1c as a screening tool for glucose intolerance in patients with STEMI.According to available evidence,in contemporary cohorts of STEMI patients submitted to mechanical revascularization,HbA1c does not seem to be associated with short and long term mortality rates.However,HbA1c may represent a screening tool for glucose intolerance from the early phase on in STEMI patients.On a pragmatic ground,an HbA1c testhas several advantages over fasting plasma glucose or an oral glucose tolerance test in an acute setting.The test can be performed in the non-fasting state and reflects average glucose concentration over the preceding 2-3 mo.We therefore proposed an algorithm based on pragmatic grounds which could be applied in STEMI patients without known diabetes in order to detect glucose intolerance abnormalities from the early phase.The main advantage of this algorithm is that it may help in tailoring the follow-up program,by helping in identifying patients at risk for the development of glucose intolerance after MI.Further validation of this algorithm in prospective studies may be required in the contemporary STEMI population to resolve some of these uncertainties around HbA1c screening cutoff points.

Hemodynamic management in brain dead donors

Donor management is the key in the complex donation process,since up to 20%of organs of brain death donors(DBD)are lost due to hemodynamic instability.This challenge is made more difficult due to the lack of strong recommendations on therapies for hemodynamic management in DBDs and more importantly to the epidemiologic changes in these donors who are becoming older and with more comorbidities(marginal donors).In the present manuscript we aimed at summarizing the available evidence on therapeutic strategies for hemodynamic management(focusing on vasoactive drugs)and monitoring(therapeutic goals).Evidence on management in elderly DBDs is also summarized.Donor management continues critical care but with different and specific therapeutic goals since the number of donor goals met is related to the number of organs retrieved and transplanted.Careful monitoring of selected parameters(possibly including serial echocardiography)is the clinical tool able to guarantee the achievement and maintaining of therapeutic goals.Despide worldwide differences,norepinephrine is the vasoactive of choice in most countries but,whenever higher doses(>0.2 mcg/kg/min)are needed,a second vasoactive drug(vasopressin)is advisable.Hormonal therapy(desmopressin,corticosteroid and thyroid hormone)are suggested in all DBDs independently of hemodynamic instability.In the single patient,therapeutic regimen(imprimis vasoactive drugs)should be chosen also according to the potential organs retrievable(i.e.heart vs liver and kidneys).