Tag: ECMO
The Great Escape: How ECMO Weaning Shifts Antibiotic Levels
This case study explores the complex pharmacological landscape of treating a 47-year-old patient with severe renal impairment and pneumonia using ceftazidime–avibactam (CAZ-AVI) while on VA-ECMO support. Researchers... read more
Life After the Pump: Quality of Life in Cardiac Surgery Survivors
Researchers have conducted a major study—the largest of its kind for this specific population—investigating the long-term quality of life (QoL) for patients who survived post-cardiotomy cardiogenic shock (PC-CS). By... read more
Integration Equals Separation for CRRT Filter Lifespan in ECMO Patients (E-CRRT Trial)
The multicenter randomized controlled E-CRRT Trial, conducted from May 2021 to March 2025 at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital (KCMH) and Central Chest Institute of Thailand (CCIT), compared two strategies for combining... read more
Extracorporeal Life Support for Adults
This book presents a concise, evidence-based review of extracorporeal life support (ECLS) for adult diseases. It describes the use of ECLS with patients who are experiencing severe hypoxemic respiratory failure (ARDS and... read more
The Pharmacist’s Expanded Role in Critical Care Medicine: A Comprehensive Guide for Practitioners and Trainees
This new book will serve as a useful resource for all pharmacists involved in the management of critically ill patients, whatever their level of experience and training. There are few textbooks aimed specifically at critical... read more
VV-ECMO Wins Big: Twice the Survival Odds Over VA-ECMO in Respiratory Failure
A PRISMA-guided systematic review and meta-analysis of 11 studies involving 3,598 patients with severe respiratory failure found that veno-venous ECMO (VV-ECMO) is linked to significantly better survival to hospital discharge... read more
Survival Shockwave: VV-ECMO Outperforms VA-ECMO in Respiratory Failure
This meta-analysis comparing venovenous (VV-ECMO) and venoarterial (VA-ECMO) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for respiratory failure, encompassing 3,598 patients across eleven studies, found a significant survival advantage... read more
The Falling Count: Platelet Trajectory Post-CRRT Predicts Mortality in AKI
This retrospective cohort study examined the dynamic changes in platelet counts—the platelet trajectory—around the initiation of Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT) in over 2,200 critically ill adults with Acute... read more
The Dual Deception: Amlodipine and Baclofen Overdose Mimics Brain Death and Triggers Cardiogenic Shock
This case study highlights the profound diagnostic challenge and dramatic presentation of a combined-drug overdose involving amlodipine and baclofen, a novel and previously unreported toxicological combination. Toxicological... read more
VA-ECMO in Septic Shock: A High-Stakes, High-Uncertainty Rescue
The use of Veno-Arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (VA-ECMO) as a rescue therapy for refractory septic shock remains a challenging, context-dependent, and uncertain strategy in adults. Current evidence shows... read more
Corticosteroids in ARDS: Delaying High-Dose Methylprednisolone Doesn’t Kill
This large retrospective study investigated whether starting high-dose (2 mg/kg) methylprednisolone therapy after 14 days of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) onset increased the risk of complications or mortality... read more
Nursing Care and ECMO
This highly informative book provides essential insights for ICU nurses at ECMO centers around the world, who face the substantial challenges involved in the management of ECMO patients. Above all, it meets their training... read more
Pediatric ECMO Survivors Show Subtle but Significant Decline in Quality of Life and Physical Function
Pediatric ECMO survivors often experience slight but persistent reductions in their health-related quality of life compared to other critically ill PICU survivors, with the most notable impact seen in physical functioning.... read more
The Antibiotic Balancing Act in ICU: Optimizing Use to Beat Resistance and Save Lives
The continuous fight against antibiotic resistance demands a routine and multidisciplinary strategy for antibiotic optimization in the ICU. Regular review and updating of these practices, based on local data on pathogens... read more
ECMO-Extracorporeal Life Support in Adults
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been in clinical use for some 40 years, but it is only in the past decade that its application in the treatment of life-threatening circulatory and respiratory failure has truly... read more
oXiris Treatment Efficacy To Reduce Endotoxin Levels
In this pilot study of patients with CS requiring VA-ECMO, the application of an oXiris did not demonstrate a significant reduction in endotoxin levels at 48 h compared with standard care. While we observed temporal decreases... read more
Hemolysis in Septic Patients with Acute Respiratory Failure: Prognostic Implications
This study highlights the critical role of hemolysis in sepsis and acute respiratory failure, showing a strong association with organ dysfunction. Hemolysis is notably frequent, especially in patients with septic shock... read more
Vitamin D Dynamics in Severe ARDS Patients on ECMO
This retrospective study investigated time-dependent changes in vitamin D levels and their correlation with disease severity and inflammation in 24 invasively mechanically ventilated patients with acute respiratory distress... read more
Rib-Indexed POCUS vs. Chest X-Ray for Lung Recruitment Assessment in Ventilated Neonates with Moderate-Severe ARDS on Pulmonary Surfactant Therapy
Rib-indexed posterior approach POCUS is a reliable, radiation-free modality for real-time lung recruitment assessment in neonates with NARDS, demonstrating noninferiority to CXR. Notably, our study is the first to propose... read more
Levosimendan Role in ECMO for Refractory Cardiac Arrest
Levosimendan use in extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) did not improve survival. Neurological outcome could be representative of the short- and long-term outcomes. Future well-designed randomized trials... read more
VA-ECMO and Pulmonary Reperfusion
The study by Stadlbauer and colleagues provides further evidence that veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) should—whenever necessary—be used, as a bridge to pulmonary reperfusion, but not as a bridge... read more
ECMO in the Adult Patient (Core Critical Care)
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is developing rapidly, and is now part of the toolkit for the management of all patients with severe respiratory or cardiac failure. Clinicians of all disciplines are in need of... read more
