Transportation of patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: a tertiary medical center experience and systematic review of the literature.

Background: Utilization of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has increased worldwide, but its use remains restricted to severely ill patients, and few referral centers are properly structured to offer this support. Inter-hospital transfer of patients on ECMO support can be life-threatening. In this study, we report a single-center experience and a systematic review of the available published data on complications and mortality associated with ECMO transportation.

Blood flow/pump rotation ratio as an artificial lung performance monitoring tool during extracorporeal respiratory support using centrifugal pumps.

Objective: To analyze the correlations of the blood flow/pump rotation ratio and the transmembrane pressure, CO2 and O2 transfer during the extracorporeal respiratory support.

Methods: Five animals were instrumented and submitted to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in a five-step protocol, including abdominal sepsis and lung injury.

Results: This study showed that blood flow/pump rotations ratio variations are dependent on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation blood flow in a positive logarithmic fashion.

Varicella associated acute respiratory distress syndrome in an adult patient: an example for extracorporeal respiratory support in Brazilian endemic diseases.

A case of a 30 year-old man presenting with severe systemic chickenpox with refractory hypoxemia, central nervous system vasculitis and anuric renal failure is described. Ambulance transportation and support using veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation were necessary until the patient recovered. Ultimately, the potential use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support in low-middle income countries to manage common diseases is discussed.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in severe hypoxemia: time for reappraisal?

In 2009, during the influenza A (H1N1) epidemic, there were many reported cases of pulmonary infection with severe hypoxemia that was refractory to the ventilatory strategies and rescue therapies commonly used to treat patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. Many of those cases were treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), which renewed international interest in the technique. The Extracorporeal Support Study Group was created in order to practice ECMO and to employ it in the treatment of patients with severe hypoxemia.

Evaluation of interventions to reduce catheter-associated bloodstream infection: continuous tailored education versus one basic lecture.

Background: This study evaluated the impact of 2 models of educational intervention on rates of central venous catheter-associated bloodstream infections (CVC-BSIs).

Methods: This was a prospective observational study conducted between January 2005 and June 2007 in 2 medical intensive care units (designated ICU A and ICU B) in a large teaching hospital. The study was divided into in 3 periods: baseline (only rates were evaluated), preintervention (questionnaire to evaluate knowledge of health care workers [HCWs] and observation of CVC care in both ICUs), and intervention (in ICU A, tailored, continuous intervention; in ICU B, a single lecture).