Fulminant Myocarditis in Patients With Autoimmune Disease That Requires Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support.

Myocarditis is a potentially life-threatening inflammatory disease of the myocardium, often resulting from infectious and immune-mediated responses. Clinical presentation in severe cases often results in a devastating illness requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support as a result of cardiogenic shock. Although endomyocardial biopsy is still considered the gold standard for diagnosis, it often reveals nonspecific lymphocytic infiltration.

Six methods to determine expiratory time constants in mechanically ventilated patients: a prospective observational physiology study.

Background: Expiratory time constant (τ) objectively assesses the speed of exhalation and can guide adjustments of the respiratory rate and the I:E ratio with the goal of achieving complete exhalation. Multiple methods of obtaining τ are available, but they have not been compared. The purpose of this study was to compare six different methods to obtain τ and to test if the exponentially decaying flow corresponds to the measured time constants.

Endovascular repair as a rescue strategy to restoring the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation flow.

Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is a known complication after myocardial infarction associated with high mortality. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is being successfully used in patients with VSD as a bridge to definitive surgical repair. Although often the only possibility to stabilize hemodynamics and oxygenation, ECMO has many potential complications, carrying significant morbidity and mortality.