Publications by authors named "D C Willms"
Background: Active esophageal cooling reduces the incidence of endoscopically identified severe esophageal lesions during radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation of the left atrium for the treatment of atrial fibrillation. A formal analysis of the atrioesophageal fistula (AEF) rate with active esophageal cooling has not previously been performed.
Objectives: The authors aimed to compare AEF rates before and after the adoption of active esophageal cooling.
Core Warming of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients Undergoing Mechanical Ventilation: A Pilot Study.
Ther Hypothermia Temp Manag
December 2023
Fever is a recognized protective factor in patients with sepsis, and growing data suggest beneficial effects on outcomes in sepsis with elevated temperature, with a recent pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) showing lower mortality by warming afebrile sepsis patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). The objective of this prospective single-site RCT was to determine if core warming improves respiratory physiology of mechanically ventilated patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), allowing earlier weaning from ventilation, and greater overall survival. A total of 19 patients with mean age of 60.
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- In March 2020, the Southern California ECMO Consortium was established to manage extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) resources effectively during the COVID-19 pandemic among the four ECMO centers in San Diego County.
- Guidelines were created to ensure equitable access to ECMO while maximizing community benefit, and ongoing coordination was maintained through weekly video conferences for data sharing and clinical discussions.
- From March to November 2020, the consortium successfully placed 97 patients on ECMO without denying any eligible patient access due to resource limitations, highlighting a potential model for other regions to follow.
Introduction: Despite considerable scientific debate, there have been no prospective clinical studies on the effects of angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) on the course of COVID-19 infection. Losartan is the ARB that was chosen to be tested in this study.
Methods: Patients with COVID-19 and mild hypoxia (receipt of ≤ 3 L/min O by nasal cannula) admitted to three hospitals were randomized in a 1:1 ratio within 72 h of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid testing confirmation to prospectively receive standard of care (SOC) alone or SOC plus losartan 12.