Publications by authors named "Albert Omlor"

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary disease (CTEPD) is an important late complication of acute pulmonary embolism, in which the thrombi transform into fibrous tissue, become integrated into the vessel wall, and lead to chronic obstructions. CTEPD is differentiated into cases without pulmonary hypertension (PH), characterized by a mean pulmonary arterial pressure up to 20 mmHg and a form with PH. Then, it is still referred to as chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a rare disease, but an important late sequela after acute pulmonary embolism. Therefore, follow-up after at least three months of sufficient anticoagulation is recommended. Patients with suspected CTEPH should be referred to specialized CTEPH centers for further evaluation and treatment.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • ECMO is a life-saving treatment for patients with severe lung injuries, but sometimes it fails to improve low oxygen levels in the blood.
  • Some patients have been treated with a second membrane lung connected either in series (one after the other) or in parallel (side by side) to help with this issue, but it's unclear which method works better.
  • Testing showed that using two lungs in a series configuration was 17% more effective at transferring oxygen compared to a parallel setup, but more research is needed before this approach can be widely adopted due to its invasive nature.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Low flow extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal (ECCO2R) is a promising approach to correct hypercapnic lung failure, facilitate lung protective ventilation in acute respiratory distress syndrome and to possibly prevent the application of invasive ventilation. However, the predominant availability of adult membrane lungs (MLs) at most intensive care units are burdens for low flow ECCO2R that intends to reduce cannula size and promote the mobility of the patients. Herein, in a mock setup, we combine the idea of a low flow ECCO2R and the use of adult MLs by installing a recirculation channel into the circuit and comparing the new setup to an already clinically established setup, "the Homburg lung.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Due to Covid-19 lockdowns in Germany, in-hospital training for medical students was halted, leading to the use of virtual reality (VR) to teach practical clinical skills at Saarland University Hospital.
  • 3D 180° videos of various clinical procedures were created and shared with students, who could choose to watch them in immersive VR or on a regular screen.
  • Although both groups had similar learning success scores, VR users reported a better learning experience and higher appreciation for the course, suggesting that VR can enhance online medical education.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has become an important therapeutic approach in the COVID-19 pandemic. The development and research in this field strongly relies on animal models; however, efforts are being made to find alternatives. In this work, we present a new mock circuit for ECMO that allows measurements of the oxygen transfer rate of a membrane lung at full ECMO blood flow.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has drastically increased the number of patients requiring extracorporeal life support. We investigate the efficacy and safety of low-dose recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rtPA) injection into exhausted oxygenators to delay exchange in critically ill COVID-19 patients on veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-V ECMO). Small doses of rtPA were injected directly into the draining section of a V-V ECMO circuit.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • In late 2020, the MobyBox, a new ECMO device, was used in Germany to meet the high demand for ECMO therapy during the COVID-19 crisis, particularly for patients with severe ARDS.
  • A review of seven patients treated with the MobyBox showed no system failures or adverse events, indicating that it is safe and effective compared to traditional ECMO systems.
  • The study suggests the MobyBox may offer better biocompatibility, but further research is necessary to evaluate how its pneumatically driven pump impacts blood components.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal (ECCOR) is vital for treating severe lung conditions like COPD and ARDS, and this study compares different membrane lung designs to assess their CO2 removal efficiency.* -
  • The research tested circular and parallel-plated membrane lungs under various gas and blood flow rates, revealing that circular lungs perform better at low gas flow rates (0.5 L/min), while parallel-plated designs excel at medium (2-4 L/min) and high (6 L/min) flow rates.* -
  • Findings suggest that the unique fiber orientation of circular lungs reduces shunting, making them potentially more efficient for low flow situations, which could be important for developing portable ECCOR devices in the future
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal (ECCOR) is a promising yet limited researched therapy for hypercapnic respiratory failure in acute respiratory distress syndrome and exacerbated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Herein, we describe a new mock circuit that enables experimental ECCOR research without animal models. In a second step, we use this model to investigate three experimental scenarios of ECCOR: (I) the influence of hemoglobin concentration on CO removal.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO NPs) are used in various industries but pose respiratory health risks, prompting research into their impact on allergic airway inflammation, particularly in a mouse model.
  • The study involved administering TiO NPs to asthmatic and non-asthmatic female BALB/c mice and analyzing effects through various assessments, including lung function and cytokine measurement.
  • Findings revealed that exposure to TiO NPs worsened inflammation and mucus production in the lungs, increased levels of certain immune cytokines, and indicated the nanoparticles were present in multiple organs, suggesting severe health implications and the need for further research.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • High resting heart rate (RHR) is linked to increased mortality risk, particularly in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), with time-updated RHR providing more accurate information than baseline RHR.
  • In a study of 2,218 COPD patients from the COSYCONET cohort, those with a baseline RHR above 72 beats per minute had a higher risk of all-cause mortality, but time-updated RHR showed even stronger associations.
  • Both elevated baseline and time-updated RHR were connected to poorer lung function, comorbidities like diabetes, and certain medications, indicating a need for further research to determine if managing RHR can improve COPD outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The combination of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with a higher prevalence of comorbidities and increased mortality. The impact of kidney function on patient-centered outcomes in COPD has not been evaluated.

Methods: Patients from the German COPD and Systemic Consequences - Comorbidities Network (COSYCONET) cohort COPD were analysed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Most smokers start smoking during their early adolescence, often with the idea that smoking is glamorous. Interventions that harness the broad availability of mobile phones as well as adolescents' interest in their appearance may be a novel way to improve school-based prevention. A recent study conducted in Germany showed promising results.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Most smokers start smoking during their early adolescence, often with the idea that smoking is glamorous; the dramatic health consequences are too far in the future to fathom. We recently designed and tested an intervention that takes advantage of the broad availability of mobile phones as well as adolescents' interest in their appearance. A free photoageing mobile app (Smokerface) was implemented by medical students in secondary schools via a novel method called mirroring.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This viewpoint reviews the perspectives for dermatology as a specialty to go beyond the substantial impact of smoking on skin disease and leverage the impact of skin changes on a person's self-concept and behavior in the design of effective interventions for smoking prevention and cessation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: Mast cells (MCs) and nerves play an important role in allergic rhinitis (AR), but little is known about their crosstalk in AR. The aim of this study was to investigate MC-nerve interaction in the human nasal mucosa during AR.

Methods: The association between MCs and nerves, the expression of neuropeptide receptors (neurokinin 1 receptor [NK1R], neurokinin 2 receptor [NK2R], calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor [CGRPR], and MrgX2) on MCs, and protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) and tyrosine receptor kinase A (TrkA) on nerve fibres in the human nasal mucosa were investigated with immunofluorescence and real-time PCR.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Nanotechnology is showing promise in many medical applications such as drug delivery and hyperthermia. Nanoparticles administered to the respiratory tract cause local reactions and cross the blood-air barrier, thereby providing a means for easy systemic administration but also a potential source of toxicity. Little is known about how these effects are influenced by preexisting airway diseases such as asthma.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Like two sides of the same coin, nanotechnology can be both boon and bane for respiratory medicine. Nanomaterials open new ways in diagnostics and treatment of lung diseases. Nanoparticle based drug delivery systems can help against diseases such as lung cancer, tuberculosis, and pulmonary fibrosis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF