Publications by authors named "Darryl Abrams"

Article Synopsis
  • The text discusses the occurrence of dual circulation during venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO), where blood from the body and an artificial heart/lung system mix, resulting in differing oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in two separate circulations.
  • This phenomenon arises when native blood flow from the heart meets retrograde blood flow from the artificial system, creating distinct physiological environments on either side of the mixing point.
  • The authors aim to clarify the terminology surrounding this issue to improve communication and clinical management for patients undergoing VA-ECMO treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) has a long history in the management of the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The objectives of this review are to summarize the rationale and evidence for ECLS in ARDS including its role in reducing ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI), suggest best practice management strategies during ECLS, and identify areas that require additional research to better inform patient care.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Clinical outcomes for patients with severe acute respiratory failure caused by different variants of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) supported with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) are incompletely understood. Clinical characteristics, pre-ECMO management, and hospital mortality at 90 days for adults with COVID-19 who received venovenous ECMO (VV-ECMO) at North American centers during waves predominated by Delta (August 16 to December 12, 2021) and Omicron (January 31 to May 31, 2022) severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants were compared in a competing risks framework. One thousand seven hundred and sixty-six patients (1,580 Delta, 186 Omicron) received VV-ECMO for COVID-19 during the Delta- and Omicron-predominant waves in North American centers.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has grown rapidly over the past decades because of evolving indications, advances in circuit technology, and encouraging results from modern trials. Because ECMO is a complex and highly invasive therapy that requires a multidisciplinary team, optimal education, training, and credentialing remain a challenge.

Objective: The primary objectives of this study were to investigate the prevalence and application of ECMO education and ECMO practitioner credentialing at ECMO centers globally.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has increased substantially. With modern trials supporting its efficacy, ECMO has become an important tool in the management of severe ARDS.

Objectives: The objectives of this paper are to discuss ECMO physiology and configurations used for patients with ARDS, review evidence supporting the use of ECMO for ARDS, and discuss aspects of management during ECMO.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: This study aimed to survey critical care clinicians and characterize their perception of antimicrobial dosing strategies in patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).

Methods: International, cross-sectional survey distributed to members of the Society of Critical Care Medicine in October 2022.

Results: Respondents were primarily physicians (45%), with 92% practicing in North America.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This document updates previously published Clinical Practice Guidelines for the management of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), incorporating new evidence addressing the use of corticosteroids, venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, neuromuscular blocking agents, and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP). We summarized evidence addressing four "PICO questions" (patient, intervention, comparison, and outcome). A multidisciplinary panel with expertise in ARDS used the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation framework to develop clinical recommendations.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) is important for diagnosing fulminant myocarditis in adults, but its timing and effects on patient outcomes are still being studied.
  • In a study involving 419 patients across 36 centers, those who had an early EMB (within 2 days of ICU admission) showed significantly better survival rates (63%) without needing heart transplants or LVAD compared to those with delayed EMB (40%).
  • The research suggests that early EMB is associated with lower mortality rates and better overall outcomes, supporting its prompt use in ICU patients suspected of having fulminant myocarditis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Dual circulation is a common but underrecognized physiological occurrence associated with peripheral venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Competitive flow will develop between blood ejected from the heart and blood travelling retrograde within the aorta from the ECMO reinfusion cannula. The intersection of these two competitive flows is referred to as the "mixing point".

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study compares unilateral and bilateral femoral cannulation strategies for peripheral venoarterial ECMO to determine which has a lower risk of limb ischemia.
  • Conducted as a retrospective cohort study using data from the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization registry, it analyzed outcomes in adult patients from 2014 to 2020.
  • Results showed no significant difference in overall limb ischemia between the two methods, but bilateral cannulation had lower rates of complications like compartment syndrome, bleeding at the cannulation site, and in-hospital mortality.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Patients with obesity are at increased risk for developing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Some centers consider obesity a relative contraindication to receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support, despite growing implementation of ECMO for ARDS in the general population. To investigate the association between obesity and mortality in patients with ARDS receiving ECMO.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Despite the demonstrated benefits of rehabilitation, active physical therapy and early mobilization are not universally performed during critical illness, especially among patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), with variation among sites.

Objective: What factors are predictive of physical mobility during venovenous (VV) ECMO support?

Methods: We performed an observational analysis of an international cohort using data from the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) Registry. We analyzed adults (≥18 years) supported with VV ECMO who survived for at least 7 days.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: Pulmonary fibrosis is a feared complication of COVID-19. To characterize the risks and outcomes associated with fibrotic-like radiographic abnormalities in patients with COVID-19-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and chronic critical illness.

Design: Single-center prospective cohort study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a rise in severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) cases, increasing the demand for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) as a life support treatment.
  • - Patient outcomes with severe COVID-19-related ARDS on ECMO are changing, highlighting challenges like resource allocation, ethical considerations, and the need for longer ECMO support.
  • - Effective coordination across research and clinical practice has spurred innovations in how ECMO is delivered, addressing the evolving needs of patients during the pandemic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

: The Extracorporeal Life Support Organization Supplies Platform (https://Supplies.ELSO.org) was created out of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) disposable product shortage prior to and during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Fulminant myocarditis (FM) is an uncommon syndrome characterized by sudden and severe hemodynamic compromise secondary to acute myocardial inflammation, often presenting as profound cardiogenic shock, life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias and/or electrical storm. FM may be refractory to conventional therapies and require mechanical circulatory support (MCS). The immune system has been recognized as playing a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of myocarditis, leading to an increased focus on immunosuppressive treatment strategies.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The role of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in the management of severe acute respiratory failure, including acute respiratory distress syndrome, has become better defined in recent years in light of emerging high-quality evidence and technological advances. Use of ECMO has consequently increased throughout many parts of the world. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, however, has highlighted deficiencies in organizational capacity, research capability, knowledge sharing, and resource use.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Lung-protective ventilation strategies are the current standard of care for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome in an effort to provide adequate ventilatory requirements while minimizing ventilator-induced lung injury. Some patients may benefit from ultra-lung-protective ventilation, a strategy that achieves lower airway pressures and Vt than the current standard. Specific physiological parameters beyond severity of hypoxemia, such as driving pressure and respiratory system elastance, may be predictive of those most likely to benefit.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: This study aimed at analyzing the prevalence, mortality association, and risk factors for bleeding and thrombosis events (BTEs) among adults supported with venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO).

Methods: We queried the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization registry for adults supported with VV-ECMO from 2010 to 2017. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was used to assess the association between BTEs and in-hospital mortality and the predictors of BTEs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF