Our approach for out-of-center initiation of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and subsequent interhospital transport.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) initiation at a non-ECMO-capable facility by specialized mobile teams aims for a stabilization prior to center admission, internationally referred to as ECMO retrieval. It is a recommended strategy to avoid primary interhospital transfer of compromised patients with a high risk of life-threatening incidents and potentially death. Deploying the unique skill set of ECMO installation and transportation to an unfamiliar environment, however, adds a further degree of complexity to the demanding fields of both transporting the critically ill and ECMO management itself.

The Influence of Prone Positioning on Energy and Protein Delivery in COVID-19 Patients Requiring ECMO Support.

Background: Gastrointestinal dysfunction is a common complication of medical nutrition therapy in critically ill patients. Whether prone positioning leads to a deterioration in gastrointestinal function has not been fully clarified. Thus, we aimed to analyze the influence of prone positioning on the tolerance of medical nutrition therapy.

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in the Immunocompromised Patient.

Improving short- and long-term outcomes in immunosuppressed patients, including patients with cancer, solid-organ transplant recipients, and patients with short- and long-term steroid treatment, has led to a paradigm shift in intensive care unit admission policies. Approximately 20% of patients currently admitted to the ICU carry a diagnosis of immune deficiency. In this population, acute respiratory failure and acute respiratory distress syndrome are the most frequent causes of ICU admission.

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of low doses of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator to establish a model for biosimilarity comparisons.

Background: Recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) is a thrombolytic agent and essential in emergency medical care. Given recent supply shortages, the availability of biosimilar products is an urgent medical need. However, biosimilarity trials are difficult to perform in critically ill patients.