Surviving Critical Care: A Follow-Up Study Assessing Pulmonary Function, Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing, and Quality of Life in COVID-19-Affected Patients.

Introduction: Survivors of severe COVID-19 face complex challenges and a high degree of pulmonary sequelae. Therefore, we aim to describe their ongoing health burden.

Methods: In this single-center prospective cohort study, COVID-19 ICU survivors were invited 3 and 6 months after ICU discharge.

Development of the Diaphragmatic Paralysis Questionnaire: a simple tool for patient relevant outcome.

Objectives: Measurement tools of health-related quality of life (HRQL) that are specific for the underlying disorder are inevitably needed to assess HRQL changes following specific treatment strategies. The aim of the current study was to develop a questionnaire assessing HRQL in patients with unilateral diaphragmatic paresis.

Methods: Firstly, topics of health impairments covering physical, psychological, social and functional aspects were predefined by a physician expert panel to ensure face validity.

Use of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Major Cardiopulmonary Resections.

Background: In thoracic surgery, utilization of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is mainly established for patients undergoing lung transplantation. The aim of our study was to summarize our single-center experience with intraoperative use of veno-venous- or veno-arterial-ECMO in patients undergoing complex lung surgery involving the main carina, or the left atrium or the descending aorta.

Methods: A total of 24 patients underwent combined complex lung, carinal, aortal, or left atrial resections.

Safety and Efficacy of a Novel Pneumatically Driven Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Device.

Background: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is rapidly becoming a mainstream technology for lung or heart/lung support. Current ECMO devices mostly consist of a power-driven centrifugal pump and a dedicated oxygenator. We studied the safety and efficacy of a novel, fully pneumatically driven ECMO device, which could be used in both venovenous or venoarterial mode in an animal model.

Respiratory acidosis during bronchoscopy-guided percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy: impact of ventilator settings and endotracheal tube size.

Background: The current study investigates the effect of bronchoscopy-guided percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) on the evolution of respiratory acidosis depending on endotracheal tube (ET) sizes. In addition, the impact of increasing tidal volumes during the intervention was investigated.

Methods: Two groups of ICU-patients undergoing bronchoscopy-guided PDT with varying tidal volumes and tube sizes were consecutively investigated: 6 ml/kg (N = 29, mean age 57.

Control of respiratory drive by extracorporeal CO removal in acute exacerbation of COPD breathing on non-invasive NAVA.

Background: Veno-venous extracorporeal CO removal (vv-ECCOR) and non-invasive neurally adjusted ventilator assist (NIV-NAVA) are two promising techniques which may prevent complications related to prolonged invasive mechanical ventilation in patients with acute exacerbation of COPD.

Methods: A physiological study of the electrical activity of the diaphragm (Edi) response was conducted with varying degrees of extracorporeal CO removal to control the respiratory drive in patients with severe acute exacerbation of COPD breathing on NIV-NAVA.

Results: Twenty COPD patients (SAPS II 37 ± 5.

Impact of sweep gas flow on extracorporeal CO removal (ECCOR).

Background: Veno-venous extracorporeal carbon dioxide (CO) removal (vv-ECCOR) is increasingly being used in the setting of acute respiratory failure. Blood flow rates range in clinical practice from 200 mL/min to more than 1500 mL/min, and sweep gas flow rates range from less than 1 to more than 10 L/min. The present porcine model study was aimed at determining the impact of varying sweep gas flow rates on CO removal under different blood flow conditions and membrane lung surface areas.

[Evolving Epidemiology of Home Mechanical Ventilation: A Rapidly Growing Challenge for Patient Care].

Background: Home mechanical ventilation is dramatically evolving in Germany. Patients with non-invasive and invasive ventilation are increasingly treated at home. In-hospital treatment of these patients is also necessary either for control visits or the management of acute medical problems.

Regional expiratory time constants in severe respiratory failure estimated by electrical impedance tomography: a feasibility study.

Background: Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) has been used to guide mechanical ventilation in ICU patients with lung collapse. Its use in patients with obstructive pulmonary diseases has been rare since obstructions could not be monitored on a regional level at the bedside. The current study therefore determines breath-by-breath regional expiratory time constants in intubated patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

Impact of membrane lung surface area and blood flow on extracorporeal CO removal during severe respiratory acidosis.

Background: Veno-venous extracorporeal CO removal (vv-ECCOR) is increasingly being used in the setting of acute respiratory failure. Blood flow rates through the device range from 200 ml/min to more than 1500 ml/min, and the membrane surface areas range from 0.35 to 1.

Fatal HBoV-1 infection in adult female cystic fibrosis patient.

A clinical case of fatal HBoV infection in an adult cystic-fibrosis patient awaiting lung transplantation is reported. The case is important as the genetic background of the underlying disease is congruent with the background of the sole permissive permanent cell culture CuFi-8 which originates also from a CF patient donor.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: evolving epidemiology and mortality.

Purpose: The evolution of the epidemiology and mortality of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) remains unclear. The present study investigates the evolving epidemiology and mortality of various ECMO techniques in Germany over time, used for both severe respiratory and cardiac failure.

Methods: Data on all patients receiving venovenous (vv-ECMO) and venoarterial (va-ECMO) ECMO as well as pumpless extracorporeal lung assist/interventional lung assist (PECLA/ILA) outside the operating room in Germany from 1 January 2007 through 31 December 2014 were obtained from the Federal Statistical Office of Germany and analyzed.