Rifaximin discontinuation during broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment in critically ill patients with hepatic encephalopathy

Hepatic encephalopathy(HE)is one of the main complications of cirrhosis,characterized by a wide spectrum of neuropsychiatric alterations that lead to an increase in mortality,morbidity and recurrent hospitalizations.Due to the central role in HE pathogenesis of ammonia and other neurotoxins primarily produced by the gut microbiota,the main therapeutic approaches for the treatment of HE are based on the modulation of the gut microbiota.Rifaximin is a non-absorbable broad-spectrum antibiotic,that is effective against ammonia-producing grampositive,gram-negative,and anaerobic species,approved for the treatment of HE in secondary prophylaxis.The chronic administration of rifaximin in this setting is associated with a lower risk of HE recurrence and mortality,while the role of rifaximin for the treatment of an overt-HE episode in inpatients is still unclear.Limited data exist about the coadministration of rifaximin and broad-spectrum antibiotics commonly used to treat concomitant infections,as patients receiving or recently treated with antibiotics were frequently excluded from clinical trials.In this editorial we comment on the article by Ward et al published in the recent issue of the World Journal of Hepatology.It is a single center,retrospective,quasiexperimental,pharmacist-driven protocol,with the aim to evaluate the feasibility and safety of rifaximin discontinuation in critically ill patients with HE and chronic liver disease receiving broad-spectrum antibiotic therapies in intensive care units.The study revealed no differences between the protocol and control group in terms of primary outcome(days alive and free of delirium and coma to day 14)and secondary outcomes which include:Intensive care mortality,intensive care length of stay,intravenous vasopressor requirement changes and adverse effects rate.Therefore,rifaximin discontinuation during broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy does not appear to negatively impact the clinical status of critically ill liver patients,with a similar safety profile and significant cost savings,as compared to the coadministration of rifaximin and broad-spectrum antibiotics.In agreement with Ward et al,a recently published double-blind,randomized controlled trial provided additional evidence to support the feasibility of withholding rifaximin during broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy in critically ill cirrhotic patients.However,given the limitations of these studies,further multicentric and prospective clinical trials,enrolling a larger sample of non-critically ill patients,are needed to better establish the role of rifaximin in this setting.

Research on the Application of Evidence-Based Quality Control Circle to Improve the Implementation Rate of Airway Management Measures in Adult Critically Ill Patients

Objective: To explore the effect of evidence-based quality control circle (QCC) in improving the implementation rate of airway management measures in adult critically ill patients. Methods: Based on the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) evidence-based health care model, the best evidence of airway management in adult critically ill patients was obtained and applied to the clinic. Results: The total implementation rate of airway management measures in adult critically ill patients increased from 23.62% before the implementation of quality control circle to 88.82%, and the pulmonary infection rate in critically ill patients decreased from 42.31% to 21.74%, with statistical significance between the two groups (P 0.05). Conclusion: Evidence-based quality control circle activities can standardize the practice standards of airway management in critically ill patients, reduce the occurrence of patients’ airway related complications, and improve clinical outcomes.

Intensive care environment: Perspective of relatives of critically ill patient sustained by health technology

The intensive care unit(ICU)is a complex setting by nature,and some have described it as bizarre due to its numerous sirens that sound when anything is dangerous,constant activity,equipment,bright lights,and high fatality rate.The demands placed on nurses to care for critically ill patients in this environment frequently prevent nurses and other health‑care professionals from acknowledging the feelings of patient’s relatives or family caregivers,resulting in a hostile environment from the patient’s relative’s perspective.When a patient’s family enters the ICU,they feel that hospital administrators do little to nothing to alleviate their discomfort and fear.Despite research demonstrating the importance of providing a homely environment for patients’families,In Nigeria ICU is still far behind how a conventional ICU environment should be structured to accommodate patient’s relations in the unit.The goal of this study was to look at the patient’s relative’s perspective on providing care for a critically ill patient in an ICU,with a focus on the unit’s complexity and overall experience.Based on the findings of this study,we recommend that hospital administrators ensure that the environment of the upcoming ICU is designed to meet the needs of patient’s relatives by addressing identified environmental concerns,like caring neglect,by providing a friendly and stress‑free environment.

Research on Nursing Effect of Individualized Nursing Intervention on Critically Ill Patients with Continuous Blood Purification

Objective:This paper aims to investigate the value of individualized care for critically ill patients receiving continuous blood purification therapy.Methods:89 cases of critically ill patients who were treated from June 2021 to June 2023 were randomly divided into groups,with individualized care in group A and routine care in group B.The differences in clinical indicators,purification effect,quality of life,and complications of blood purification were compared between the groups.Results:Heart rate,respiration,body temperature,and other indicators in group A were better than those in group B,P<0.05.C-reactive protein(CRP),β2-microglobulin(β2-MG),blood urea nitrogen(BUN),and phosphorus(P)in group A were lower than those in group B,P<0.05.Group A had higher quality of life than Group B,P<0.05.The complication rate of blood purification in Group A was lower than that in Group B,P<0.05.Conclusion:During continuous blood purification in critically ill patients,individualized nursing intervention can enhance the effect of blood purification,improve the physiological indicators of patients,and reduce the complications of blood purification,which is highly effective and feasible.

Application Effect of Medium-Length Peripheral Catheter in Critically Ill Patients Undergoing Hepatobiliary Surgery

Objective:To investigate the effect of using peripheral medium-length catheters in critically ill patients undergoing hepatobiliary surgery.Methods:A retrospective analysis of the nursing experience and effect of using medium-length catheters for infusion in 102 critically ill patients undergoing hepatobiliary surgery from March 2021 to April 2022 was conducted.Results:All 102 patients had successful catheter placement with no catheter-associated infections,blockage,decannulation,or breakage.However,four cases had blood oozing from the puncture site,but it resolved after changing the dressing.Conclusion:Medium-length catheters are superior to traditional infusion tools in terms of benefit;thus,they deserve to be widely promoted in clinical practice.

Modified B-ultrasound method for measurement of antral section only to assess gastric function and guide enteral nutrition in critically ill patients

AIM To establish a modified B-ultrasound method of measuring the antral section only to assess gastric motility in healthy people,and evaluate its application in guiding enteral nutrition(EN) in critically ill patients. METHODS First,30 healthy volunteers were selected. The modified B-ultrasound method and the traditional B-ultrasound method were applied to assess gastric function. The correlation of indices of gastric function between the two groups was analyzed statistically. In addition,64 critically ill patients were selected,and the modified B-ultrasound method and the gastric juice withdrawal method were applied to guide the implementation of EN. Daily caloric value,the time required to achieve complete EN,ICU stay,hospitalization time,and serum prealbumin and albumin levels were recorded and compared between the two groups. Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to compare the complications of EN between the two groups. RESULTS In healthy subjects,there was a good correlation among gastric emptying time,antral contraction frequency andantral motility index between the two groups(r = 0.57,0.61 and 0.54,respectively). The study on critically ill patients also revealed that a better effect of EN was achieved in the modified B-ultrasound method group,in which patients had shorter ICU stay and hospitalization time and higher levels of serum prealbumin and albumin. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that the improved B-ultrasound method was associated with significantly fewer EN complications(P = 0.031).CONCLUSION The modified B-ultrasound method can provide a good real-time assessment of gastric function and has a better effect than the traditional method in guiding EN in critically ill patients.

Glycated hemoglobin A1C and diabetes mellitus in critically ill patients

BACKGROUND:Hyperglycemia has been detected in many critically ill patients in the department of emergency medicine.But its mechanism and prognosis have not been well elucidated.In this study,we measured the serum level of glycated hemoglobin A1C(HbA1c) in critically ill patients to evaluate the effects of hyperglycemia on the prognosis of the patients.METHODS:A total of 826 critically ill patients,who had been treated at the Department of Emergency Medicine of Chaoyang Hospital during October 2006 and November 2007,were divided into a diabetes mellitus group(n=184) and a non-diabetes mellitus group(642) according to whether they had diabetes mellitus.Fasting glucose and HbA1 c were measured in all patients.Those in the diabetes mellitus group were further assigned to a drug therapy subgroup and a non-drug therapy subgroup;the serum level of HbA1 c and its relationship with short-term outcome were evaluated.RESULTS:Fasting glucose increased in 78.8% of the patients(88.6%in the diabetes mellitus group,and 75.9%in the non-diabetes mellitus group,P<0.05),and HbA1 c was elevated in 45.5% of the patients(78.3% in the diabetes mellitus group,and 36.1%in the non-diabetes mellitus group,P<0.01).Fasting glucose,HbA1 c and 28-day mortality were improved more significantly(P<0.01) in the drug therapy subgroup than in the non-drug therapy subgroup.The 28-day mortality was more significantly different in patients with fasting blood glucose >8.33 mmol/L than in those with fasting blood glucose <8.33 mmol/L.CONCLUSIONS:Hyperglycemia of critically ill patients could not totally attribute to stress response,especially in those who have no history of diabetes mellitus.Prognosis of hyperglycemia may vary among critically ill patients.

Immunomodulatory therapy for the management of critically ill patients with COVID-19:A narrative review

BACKGROUND Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)is the causative agent of the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic.Understanding the physiological and immunological processes underlying the clinical manifestations of COVID-19 is vital for the identification and rational design of effective therapies.AIM To describe the interaction of SARS-CoV-2 with the immune system and the subsequent contribution of hyperinflammation and abnormal immune responses to disease progression together with a complete narrative review of the different immunoadjuvant treatments used so far in COVID-19 and their indication in severe and life-threatening subsets.METHODS A comprehensive literature search was developed.Authors reviewed the selected manuscripts following the PRISMA recommendations for systematic review and meta-analysis documents and selected the most appropriate.Finally,a recommendation of the use of each treatment was established based on the level of evidence of the articles and documents reviewed.This recommendation was made based on the consensus of all the authors.RESULTS A brief rationale on the SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis,immune response,and inflammation was developed.The usefulness of 10 different families of treatments related to inflammation and immunopathogenesis of COVID-19 was reviewed and discussed.Finally,based on the level of scientific evidence,a recommendation was established for each of them.CONCLUSION Although several promising therapies exist,only the use of corticosteroids and tocilizumab(or sarilumab in absence of this)have demonstrated evidence enough to recommend its use in critically ill patients with COVID-19.Endotypes including both,clinical and biological characteristics can constitute specific targets for better select certain therapies based on an individualized approach to treatment.

Observations on the Application of Nursing Risk Management in the Care of Critically Ill Patients in the Respiratory Unit

Objechive:Investigate the effectiveness of mursing risk management in the care of cntically ill patients in the respiratory umit.Methods:Among the cntically ill respiratory patients admitted to our hospital between May 2019 and April 2020,78 patients were randomly selected and divided into an observation group and a control group,each consisting of 39 patients.In the observation group.a mursing nisk management model was implemented,i.e,patients'clinical symptoms were observed at any time to monitor their treatment satisfaction and the effectiveness of their care and routine care was implemented for the control group.Results:The heart rate,respiratory rate,and pH of patients in the observation group were more stable than those in the control group,and their respiratory status was better,with differences in data.There was also sigmifcant statistical significance(P<0.05).The incidence of patient-provider disputes,unplanned extubation,and uplammed events were lower in the observation group conpared to the control group,and their data difference was satistically siguificant(P-0.05).The treatment satisfaction as well as the total effective rate of patients in the observation group was also much higher than that of the contol group,and there was also a statistically sigmificant difference in the data(P<0.05).Conclusion:The musing nisk management model has a significant therapeutic effect in the care of cnitically ill respiratory patients.Therefore,it is worth popularizing to use in the clinical mursing of respiratory cnitical patients.

Pharmacodynamic profiling of optimal sulbactam regimens against carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii for critically ill patients

Objective: To study the minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC) of sulbactam against carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii(CR-AB) and to determine the dosage regimens reaching target time of free drug concentration remaining above the MIC(f T>MIC). Methods: Clinical isolates of CR-AB from patients admitted to Phramongkutklao Hospital, Thailand from January 2014 to December 2015 were obtained. The MIC of sulbactam for each CR-AB isolate was determined using the agar dilution method. Each sulbactam regimen was simulated using the Monte Carlo technique to calculate the probability of target attainment(PTA) and the cumulative fraction of response(CFR) in critically ill patients. PTA was defined by how likely a specific drug dose was to reach 40% and 60% f T>MIC. The CFR was the probability of drug dose covering the MIC range of CR-AB. Dosing regimens reaching above 80% of PTA and CFR, were considered as the optimal dosage for documented and empirical therapy, respectively. Results: A total of 118 CR-AB isolates were included in the study. The percentile at the fiftieth and ninetieth MIC of sulbactam were 64 and 192 μg/m L, respectively. For a MIC of sulbactam of 4 μg/m L, all dosage regimens achieved PTA target. However, only a sulbactam dosage of 12 g intravenous daily using 2-4 h infusion or continuous infusion that covered for isolates with a sulbactam MIC of 96 μg/m L, met the PTA or CFR targets. Conclusions: The MIC of sulbactam against CR-AB is quite high. The sulbactam dose of 12 g/day using prolonged infusion was required to achieve the target f T>MIC for CR-AB treatment.

Airway maintenance of critically ill patients

With the advancement of medical technology,artificial airway has been widely used in modern medicine in our country,especially in the treatment and rescue of critically ill patients.However,the establishment of an artificial airway will also affect the original anatomical structure and normal function of the airway,which will cause a series of complications and pose a serious threat to the prognosis of patients.Therefore,effective airway maintenance can not only prevent the occurrence of complications,reduce the physical and mental trauma to the patient,but also optimize the treatment effect.At this stage,domestic and foreign airway maintenance strategies have shown varying degrees of new cognition.This article reviews the latest research status of airway maintenance strateges at home and abroad,hoping to provide clinicians with a reference for the latest cognition in airway maintenance strategies.

Fungal infections in immunocompromised critically ill patients

Diverse pathogenic fungi can produce severe infections in immunocompromised patients, thereby justifying intensive care unit (ICU) admissions. In some cases, the infections can develop in immunocompromised patients who were previously admitted to the ICU. Aspergillus spp., Pneumocystis jirovecii, Candida spp., and Mucorales are the fungi that are most frequently involved in these infections. Diagnosis continues to be challenging because symptoms and signs are unspecific. Herein, we provide an in-depth review about the diagnosis, with emphasis on recent advances, and treatment of these invasive fungal infections in the ICU setting.

Nursing Experience of Early Application of Nasoenteric Tube for Enteral Nutrition in Critically Ill ICU Patients

Objective:To investigate the effective nursing measures of early application of nasoenteric tube for enteral nutrition in critically ill patients in ICU,and to summarize the nursing experience.Methods:The study was carried out in June 2023–November 2023.62 samples of ICU critically ill patients were selected,all of whom used enteral nutrition by mesenteric tube and were grouped into an observation group(n=31)and a control group(n=31)by using the numerical table randomization method.The patients in the control group were basic nursing interventions,and the patients in the observation group were comprehensive quality care,comparing the nutritional indexes,complication rates,and nursing satisfaction between the two groups.Results:All nutritional indicators of the observation group were higher than those of the control group after nursing intervention(P<0.05);the complication rate of the observation group was lower than that of the control group(P<0.05);the nursing satisfaction of the observation group was higher than that of the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion:Comprehensive quality nursing care during the early application of a gastroenteric tube for enteral nutrition in critically ill patients in the ICU can improve nutritional indexes,reduce the incidence of complications and improve nursing satisfaction.

The intensity of organ support: Restrictive or aggressive therapy for critically ill patients

The intensity of organ support has received attention in recent years. To make better clinical decisions, we should understand the mechanisms and benefits, and disadvantages of the different intensities of organ support in critically ill patients. Therapeutic strategies such as supplemental oxygen therapy, mechanical ventilation, respiratory stimulant, vasoactive agents, transfusion, albumin infusion, fluid management, renal placement, and nutrition support, if they are implemented in accordance with an aggressive strategy, could result in side effects and/or complications, resulting in iatrogenic harm in critically ill patients. It is found that the intensity of organ support is not a determining factor in prognosis. A normal rather than supernormal physiological target is recommended for support therapy.

Predicting Critically Ill Patients Short-Term Mortality Risk Using Routinely Collected Data:Deep Learning Model Development,Validation,and Explanation

This paper aims to develop and validate a deep learning-based short-term mortality risk prediction model for critically ill patients by using routinely collected data in a large Chinese cohort and explore the explainability of the model decision.A total of 10925 critically ill patients between January 2014 and June 2020 are included in this study.Data routinely collected in the electronic health records(EHRs)system are extracted and used to develop a short-term mortality risk prediction model based on a deep artificial neural network(ANN).The features include demographic characteristics,vital signs,laboratory tests,and the daily dose of intravenous medications.The developed deep learning model(AUROC:0.88,AUPRC:0.63,Brier score:0.108)is superior to the model based on APACHEⅡscores(AUROC:0.78,AURPC:0.52,Brier score:0.124)in the prediction of hospital mortality for critically ill patients.Further attribution analysis based on the integrated gradients method shows that measurements observed at a later time seem to have a more significant influence on mortality,while earlier usage of amiodarone or dexmedetomidine contributed to lower mortality.This well-performing and interpretable model may have practical implications for improving the quality of care for critically ill patients.

Early prophylactic anticoagulation with heparin alleviates mortality in critically ill patients with sepsis:a retrospective analysis from the MIMIC-IV database

Background:Minimal data exist on anticoagulation use and timing and the dose of heparin in patients with sepsis,and whether heparin use improves sepsis survival remains largely unclear.This study was performed to assess whether heparin administration would provide a survival advantage in critically ill patients with sepsis.Methods:A retrospective cohort study of patients with sepsis in the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care(MIMIC)-IV database was conducted.Cox proportional hazards model and propensity score matching(PSM)were used to evaluate the outcomes of prophylactic anticoagulation with heparin administered by subcutaneous injection within 48 h of intensive care unit(ICU)admission.The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality.Secondary outcomes included 60-day mortality,length of ICU stay,length of hospital stay and incidence of acute kidney injury(AKI)on day 7.EValue analysis were used for unmeasured confounding.Results:A total of 6646 adult septic patients were included and divided into an early prophylactic heparin group(n=3211)and a nonheparin group(n=3435).In-hospital mortality in the heparin therapy group was significantly lower than that in the nonheparin group(prematched 14.7 vs 20.0%,hazard ratio(HR)0.77,95%confidence interval(CI)[0.68-0.87],p<0.001,and postmatched 14.9 vs 18.3%,HR 0.78,95%CI[0.68-0.89],p<0.001).Secondary endpoints,including 60-day mortality and length of ICU stay,differed between the heparin and nonheparin groups(p<0.01).Early prophylactic heparin administration was associated with in-hospital mortality among septic patients in different adjusted covariates(HR 0.71-0.78,p<0.001),and only administration of five doses of heparin was associated with decreased in-hospital mortality after PSM(HR 0.70,95%CI 0.56-0.87,p<0.001).Subgroup analysis showed that heparin use was significantly associated with reduced in-hospital mortality in patients with sepsis-induced coagulopathy,septic shock,sequential organ failure assessment score≥10,AKI,mechanical ventilation,gram-positive bacterial infection and gram-negative bacterial infection,with HRs of 0.74,0.70,0.58,0.74,0.73,0.64 and 0.72,respectively(p<0.001).E-Value analysis suggested robustness to unmeasured confounding.Conclusions:This study found an association between early administration prophylactic heparin provided to patients with sepsis and reduced risk-adjusted mortality.A prospective randomizedcontrolled study should be designed to further assess the relevant findings.

Clinical decision-making by the emergency department resident physicians for critically ill patients

The application of main methodologies for clinical decision-making by residents in emergency medical practice was assessed,and issues in this area were investigated.The treatments provided to 2611 critical patients by the Emergency Department of Peking Union Medical College Hospital were analyzed by independent investigators who evaluated the main clinical decision-making processes applied by the hospital residents.The application of decision-making strategies by PG1 and PG3 groups,which means the residents in first year and the third year,were compared.The patients were treated according to pattern recognition(43.0%),hypotheticodeductive reasoning(23.4%),event-driven models(19.3%),and rule-using algorithms(5.9%).A significant difference was found between PG1 and PG3 groups(χ^(2)=498.01,P<0.001).Pattern recognition and hypotheticdeductive methods were the most common techniques applied by emergency physicians in evaluating critically ill patients.The decision-making processes applied by junior and senior residents were significantly different,although neither group adequately applied rule-using algorithms.Inclusion of clinical decision-making in medical curricula is needed to improve decision-making in critical care.

Physico-chemical characterization of acid base disorders in patients with COVID-19:A cohort study

BACKGROUND Acid-base imbalance has been poorly described in patients with coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).Study by the quantitative acid-base approach may be able to account for minor changes in ion distribution that may have been over-looked using traditional acid-base analysis techniques.In a cohort of critically ill COVID-19 patients,we looked for an association between metabolic acidosis surrogates and worse clinical outcomes,such as mortality,renal dialysis,and length of hospital stay.AIM To describe the acid-base disorders of critically ill COVID-19 patients using Stewart’s approach,associating its variables with poor outcomes.METHODS This study pertained to a retrospective cohort comprised of adult patients who experienced an intensive care unit stay exceeding 4 days and who were diagnosed with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection through a positive polymerase chain reaction analysis of a nasal swab and typical pulmonary involvement observed in chest computed tomography scan.Laboratory and clinical data were obtained from electronic records.Categorical variables were compared using Fisher’s exact test.Continuous data were presented as median and interquartile range.The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparisons.RESULTS In total,211 patients were analyzed.The mortality rate was 13.7%.Overall,149 patients(70.6%)presented with alkalosis,28 patients(13.3%)had acidosis,and the remaining 34 patients(16.2%)had a normal arterial pondus hydrogenii.Of those presenting with acidosis,most had a low apparent strong ion difference(SID)(20 patients,9.5%).Within the group with alkalosis,128 patients(61.0%)had respiratory origin.The non-survivors were older,had more comorbidities,and had higher Charlson’s and simplified acute physiology score 3.We did not find severe acid-base imbalance in this population.The analyzed Stewart’s variables(effective SID,apparent SID,and strong ion gap and the effect of albumin,lactate,phosphorus,and chloride)were not different between the groups.CONCLUSION Alkalemia is prevalent in COVID-19 patients.Although we did not find an association between acid-base variables and mortality,the use of Stewart’s methodology may provide insights into this severe disease.

Prevalence of polymyxin-induced nephrotoxicity and its predictors in critically ill adult patients:A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Polymyxin-induced nephrotoxicity is a major safety concern in clinical practice due to long-term adverse outcomes and high mortality.AIM To conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence and potential predictors of polymyxin-induced nephrotoxicity in adult intensive care unit(ICU)patients.METHODS PubMed,EMBASE,the Cochrane Library and Reference Citation Analysis database were searched for relevant studies from inception through May 30,2022.The pooled prevalence of polymyxin-induced nephrotoxicity and pooled risk ratios of associated factors were analysed using a random-effects or fixed-effects model by Stata SE ver.12.1.Additionally,subgroup analyses and meta-regression were conducted to assess heterogeneity.RESULTS A total of 89 studies involving 12234 critically ill adult patients were included in the meta-analysis.The overall pooled incidence of polymyxin-induced nephrotoxicity was 34.8%.The pooled prevalence of colistin-induced nephrotoxicity was not higher than that of polymyxin B(PMB)-induced nephrotoxicity.The subgroup analyses showed that nephrotoxicity was significantly associated with dosing interval,nephrotoxicity criteria,age,publication year,study quality and sample size,which were confirmed in the univariable meta-regression analysis.Nephrotoxicity was significantly increased when the total daily dose was divided into 2 doses but not 3 or 4 doses.Furthermore,older age,the presence of sepsis or septic shock,hypoalbuminemia,and concomitant vancomycin or vasopressor use were independent risk factors for polymyxin-induced nephrotoxicity,while an elevated baseline glomerular filtration rate was a protective factor against colistin-induced nephrotoxicity.CONCLUSION Our findings indicated that the incidence of polymyxin-induced nephrotoxicity among ICU patients was high.It emphasizes the importance of additional efforts to manage ICU patients receiving polymyxins to decrease the risk of adverse outcomes.

ECMO/CRRT Combined Support in the Treatment of Critically Ill SARS-CoV-2 Pneumonia Patients

Objective: To explore the experience with and complications of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)combined with continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) for treatment of critically ill patients with severe acuterespiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pneumonia.Methods: The data on critically ill COVID-19 patients who received ECMO/CRRT at Tongji Hospital, which isaffi liated with Huazhong University of Science and Technology, in February and March 2020 were collected andanalyzed. All three patients were male, and the mean age was 50.6 years (range 44 – 58 years). The indications forECMO in critically ill SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia patients at our center were severe acute respiratory distress syndromewith Pa o 2 /F i o 2 below 100 mmHg under an effective protective pulmonary ventilation strategy and infl ammatory stormaccompanied by acute kidney injury. One patient, with severe heart failure, was selected for venoarterial ECMO, andthe other two patients were selected for venovenous ECMO.Results: In the three patients who received ECMO combined with bedside CRRT, the mean duration was 9.7 days(range 7 – 13 days). Four complications occurred during ECMO/CRRT, especially thrombocytopenia. Laboratorytesting showed increased counts of leukocytes and lymphocytes and decreased levels of infl ammatory factors. LungCT was suggestive of signifi cantly absorbed and reduced lesions and interstitial fi brosis.Conclusions: The survival rate of patients with cardiopulmonary failure treated with ECMO/CRRT in whomconventional treatment failed in this group was 100%, which indicates that combined treatment with ECMO and CRRTis an important treatment technique.