In COVID-19 Patients Supported with Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, Intensive Care Unit Mortality Is Associated with the Blood Transfusion Rate.

: The COVID-19 pandemic markedly increased the number of patients with infection-related acute respiratory distress syndrome who required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and multiple blood transfusions. This study aimed to assess a potential correlation between the daily rate of transfused blood products and the intensive care unit (ICU) outcome of ECMO-supported COVID-19 patients. : Data were retrieved from the electronic databases of three Israeli tertiary care centers.

Outcomes and Prognosis of COVID-19-Induced Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome Patients Treated with Prolonged Veno-Venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: A Retrospective Multicenter Study.

Predicting whether extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment duration affects prognosis is important both medically and economically. : We conducted a retrospective, multicenter study to better understand the outcomes of patients treated with veno-venous (VV) ECMO over a prolonged duration, analyzing data from the Israel ECMO registry. The study included all adult patients treated with VV-ECMO due to COVID-19-induced respiratory failure.

Outcomes of in-hospital cardiac arrest managed with and without a specialized code team: A retrospective observational study.

Background: In-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) still has a poor prognosis despite medical advancements in recent decades. Early and high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), as well as good teamwork, are important prognostic factors. There are no clear guidelines regarding the composition of a dedicated hospital CPR team.

Outcomes of non-COVID-19 critically ill patients with hematologic malignancies a 10-year single-center retrospective analysis.

We report the outcomes of patients with haematological malignancies admitted to ICUs and define pre-ICU prognostic factors for in-hospital mortality. In a retrospective, single-center study, we included all patients with haematologic malignancies admitted to ICUs between 2009 and 2019. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality.

Lung ultrasound is associated with distinct clinical phenotypes in COVID-19 ARDS: A retrospective observational study.

Background: ARDS is a heterogeneous syndrome with distinct clinical phenotypes. Here we investigate whether the presence or absence of large pulmonary ultrasonographic consolidations can categorize COVID-19 ARDS patients requiring mechanical ventilation into distinct clinical phenotypes.

Methods: This is a retrospective study performed in a tertiary-level intensive care unit in Israel between April and September 2020.

Extracorporal Membrane Oxygenation in Nonintubated Patients (Awake ECMO) With COVID-19 Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome: The Israeli Experience.

In this retrospective multicenter observational study, we describe the Israeli experience with veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV ECMO) for the treatment of COVID-19-induced severe adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), in which ECMO cannulation was done while the patients were awake and spontaneously breathing without endotracheal tube, namely "awake ECMO." We enrolled all adult patients with severe ARDS due to COVID-19, treated with VV ECMO between March 1, 2020, and November 30, 2021, in which cannulation was done while the patient was awake and spontaneously breathing. During the study period, 365 COVID-19 ARDS patients were treated with VV ECMO.

Self-learning of cardiac ultrasound by medical students: can augmented online training improve and maintain manual POCUS skills over time?

Background: The use of cardiac point of care ultra-sound is rapidly growing and so is the demand for quality POCUS teaching. POCUS teaching is usually conducted in small groups requiring much space and equipment. This study attempts to test whether providing access to an E-learning module as an adjunct to a cardiac POCUS course can increase students' image acquisition skills.

A case report of rapid diagnosis of atrial-oesophageal fistula by transthoracic echocardiogram with agitated saline injection.

Background: Catheter ablation is a common treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF). Atrial-oesophageal fistula (AOF) is a rare yet fatal complication of catheter ablation. Chest computed tomography (CT) is the diagnostic modality of choice but may be undiagnostic in up to 24% of cases.

Outcome predictors and patient progress following delivery in pregnant and postpartum patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonitis in intensive care units in Israel (OB-COVICU): a nationwide cohort study.

Background: A key unresolved controversy in severe COVID-19 pneumonitis in pregnancy is the optimum timing of delivery and whether delivery improves or worsens maternal outcomes. We aimed to assess clinical data on every intensive care unit (ICU) day for pregnant and postpartum women admitted to the ICU with COVID-19, with a particular focus on the days preceding and following delivery.

Methods: In this multicentre, nationwide, prospective and retrospective cohort study, we evaluated all pregnant women who were admitted to an ICU in Israel with severe COVID-19 pneumonitis from the 13th week of gestation to the 1st week postpartum.

Unusual presentation of aggressive high-grade B-cell lymphoma of colonic origin: A case report and review of the literature.

Colonic lymphoma is a rare disease. The presented case is unique, being manifested with abrupt onset, including circulatory shock and lactic acidosis as the initial presentation.

Point of Care Lung Ultrasound Injury Score-A simple and reliable assessment tool in COVID-19 patients (PLIS I): A retrospective study.

Background: In COVID-19 patients, lung ultrasound is superior to chest radiograph and has good agreement with computerized tomography to diagnose lung pathologies. Most lung ultrasound protocols published to date are complex and time-consuming. We describe a new illustrative Point-of-care ultrasound Lung Injury Score (PLIS) to help guide the care of patients with COVID-19 and assess if the PLIS would be able to predict COVID-19 patients' clinical course.

Real time wire localization by ultrasound during central line insertion improves accurate positioning in all upper torso sites.

Purpose: To investigate whether point of care ultrasound can improve central venous catheter tip positioning.

Material And Methods: A single center retrospective case control study. We compared the precision of central venous catheter tip positioning between two intensive care units while in only one of the units, we used point of care ultrasound for guidewire identification.

Central venous catheter insertion- guidewire migration ratio: Right heart to inferior vena cava.

Background: Central Venous Catheters (CVC) are being used in both intensive care units and general wards for multiple purposes. A previous study Galante et al. (2017) observed that during CVC insertion through Subclavian Vein (SCV) or the Internal Jugular Vein (IJV) the guidewire is sometimes advanced to the Inferior Vena Cava (IVC), and at other times to the right atrium.

Accurate positioning of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation cannulas using real-time trans-thoracic echocardiography.

In this retrospective observational case series, we aimed to evaluate the use of real-time trans-thoracic echocardiography in accurate positioning of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation cannulas. Patients admitted to the intensive care unit with severe adult respiratory distress syndrome in need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation were screened. Twenty-one extracorporeal membrane oxygenation cannulas were inserted in 10 patients, and 95% of the cannulas were located exactly at the vena cava-right atria junction as planned.

Self-learning of point-of-care cardiac ultrasound - Can medical students teach themselves?

Background: Point-of-care ultrasonography (PoCUS) is a rapidly evolving discipline that aims to train non-cardiologists, non-radiologists clinicians in performing bedside ultrasound to guide clinical decision. Training of PoCUS is challenging, time-consuming and requires large amount of resources. The objective of our study was to evaluate if this training process can be simplified by allowing medical students self-train themselves with a web-based cardiac ultrasound software.

The feasibility and efficacy of implementing a focused cardiac ultrasound course into a medical school curriculum.

Background: Teaching cardiac ultrasound to medical students in a brief course is a challenge. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility of teaching large groups of medical students the acquisition and interpretation of cardiac ultrasound images using a pocket ultrasound device (PUD) in a short, specially designed course.

Methods: Thirty-one medical students in their first clinical year participated in the study.

Single-Operator Ultrasound-Guided Central Venous Catheter Insertion Verifies Proper Tip Placement.

Objectives: To evaluate whether a single-operator ultrasound-guided, right-sided, central venous catheter insertion verifies proper placement and shortens time to catheter utilization.

Design: Prospective observational study with historical controls.

Setting: Adult ICUs.