Recent Advances and Future Directions in Extracorporeal Carbon Dioxide Removal.

Extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal (ECCOR) is an emerging technique designed to reduce carbon dioxide (CO) levels in venous blood while enabling lung-protective ventilation or alleviating the work of breathing. Unlike high-flow extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), ECCOR operates at lower blood flows (0.4-1.

Primary Mediastinal Ewing's Sarcoma: Post Hoc Analysis from Two International Multicenter Prospective Randomized Trials.

Objective: Ewing sarcoma (EWS) of the mediastinum is extremely rare, with only a few cases reported in the literature. We aimed to gain a better understanding of primary mediastinal EWS, describing patients treated within two international, multicenter, prospective, randomized EWS trials.

Methods: Data from patients with primary mediastinal EWS were retrieved from the database of the EURO-E.

The Prognostic Value of Preoperative C-Reactive Protein Levels in Resected Early-Stage Lung Cancer.

Introduction: C-reactive protein (CRP) is the most widely used marker of the systemic inflammatory response. An association between preoperative elevated levels and prognosis has been demonstrated for numerous tumors. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between preoperative CRP levels and survival in early-stage nonsmall cell lung cancer.

Assessment of the physiological effects and safety of transpulmonary chemoembolization with doxorubicin on pulmonary tissue using a human-isolated lung perfusion model.

Background: Whole lung transpulmonary chemoembolization using a combination of doxorubicin (DXO) and degradable starch microspheres (DSM-TPCE) might be a promising treatment option in soft tissue sarcoma. To pave the way for clinical studies, this study aimed to evaluate the short-term effects of DSM-TPCE with DXO using an ex vivo isolated lung perfusion (ILP) model.

Methods: Nine lung specimens retrieved from patients undergoing lobectomy underwent ex vivo ILP.

Highlights from the Respiratory Failure and Mechanical Ventilation Conference 2024.

The Respiratory Intensive Care Assembly of the European Respiratory Society gathered in Berlin to organise the third Respiratory Failure and Mechanical Ventilation Conference in February 2024. The conference covered key points of acute and chronic respiratory failure in adults. During the 3-day conference ventilatory strategies, patient selection, diagnostic approaches, treatment and health-related quality of life topics were addressed by a panel of international experts.

Bilateral lung volume reduction surgery outperforms the unilateral approach in functional improvement.

Objectives: Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) is an established treatment approach for patients with severe pulmonary emphysema, enhancing lung function and quality of life in selected patients. Functional benefits and outcomes after uni- versus bilateral lung volume reduction remain a topic of debate.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients undergoing LVRS from January 2018 to October 2022 was conducted.

Adherence-enhancing interventions for pharmacological and oxygen therapy in patients with COPD: a systematic review and component network meta-analyses.

Introduction: Adherence to COPD management strategies is complex, and it is unclear which intervention may enhance it.

Objectives: We aim to evaluate the effectiveness of adherence-enhancing interventions, alone or compared to interventions, for patients with COPD.

Methods: This review comprises a component network meta-analysis with a structured narrative synthesis.

Humoral immune response as an indicator for protection against Covid-19 after anti-SARS-COV2-booster vaccination in hematological and oncological patients.

Cancer patients are at a higher risk to develop severe COVID-19 symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to the general population and regularly show an impaired immune response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. In our oncological center, 357 patients with hematological and oncological diseases were monitored for neutralizing antibodies from October 2021 over 12 months. All patients had received three anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations with an mRNA-(Comirnaty/BionTech or Spikevax/Moderna) or a vector vaccine (Vakzevria/AstraZeneca or JCOVDEN/Johnson&Johnson).

A clinical phenotype of VEXAS syndrome with pleural effusion, infiltrates, and systemic inflammation in a 76-year-old patient: a case report.

Introduction: VEXAS syndrome, characterized by a UBA1 gene mutation, is a rare and severe systemic inflammatory disease predominantly affecting men. Since its initial description in 2020, it has been noted for its broad clinical phenotype and frequent misdiagnosis.

Case Presentation: A 76-year-old Caucasian male patient diagnosed with VEXAS syndrome is presented in this case report.

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.

Care pathways versus usual care for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of care pathways (CPs) compared to usual care/no CPs for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

FDG-PET-CT as an early detection method for tuberculosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Tuberculosis (TB) causes major public health problems worldwide. Fighting TB requires sustained efforts in health prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Previous literature has shown that conventional diagnostic methods like X-ray and sputum microscopy often miss early or extrapulmonary TB due to their limited sensitivity.

In-hospital mortality, comorbidities, and costs of one million mechanically ventilated patients in Germany: a nationwide observational study before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Even more than hospital care in general, intensive care and mechanical ventilation capacities and its utilization in terms of rates, indications, ventilation types and outcomes vary largely among countries. We analyzed complete and nationwide data for Germany, a country with a large intensive care sector, before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Analysis of administrative claims data, provided by the German health insurance, from all hospitals for all individual patients who were mechanically ventilated between 2019 and 2022.

Early detection of tuberculosis: a systematic review.

Tuberculosis remains a significant global health challenge. Tuberculosis affects millions of individuals worldwide. Early detection of tuberculosis plays a relevant role in the management of treatment of tuberculosis.

High-Intensity Blue Light (450-460 nm) Phototherapy for -Infected Wounds.

Nosocomial wound infection with (PA) is a serious complication often responsible for the septic mortality of burn patients. High-intensity antimicrobial blue light (aBL) treatment may represent an alternative therapy for PA infections and will be investigated in this study. Antibacterial effects of a light-emitting diode array (450-460 nm; 300 mW/cm; 15/30 min; 270/540 J/cm) against PA were determined by suspension assay, biofilm assay, and a human skin wound model and compared with 15-min topically applied 3% citric acid (CA) and wound irrigation solution (Prontosan; PRT).

Progressive pulmonary fibrosis in patients with connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease: An explorative study.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify differences and similarities between connective tissue disease (CTD) patients with and without progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF) by applying the new guidelines.

Patients And Methods: Patient characteristics and disease courses from medical records of 50 CTD-associated Interstitial lung disease (ILD) patients (33 females, 17 males; mean age: 60.1±12.

High-Intensity Blue Light (450-460 nm) Phototherapy for -Infected Wounds.

Nosocomial wound infection with (PA) is a serious complication often responsible for septic mortality of burn patients. High-intensity antimicrobial blue light (aBL) treatment may represent an alternative therapy for PA infections. Antibacterial effects of an light-emitting diode (LED) array (450-460 nm; 300 mW/cm; 15/30 min; 270/540J/cm) against PA were determined by suspension assay, biofilm assay, and a human skin wound model and compared with 15-min topically applied 3% citric acid (CA) and wound irrigation solution (Prontosan; PRT).

ERS International Congress 2023: highlights from the Respiratory Intensive Care Assembly.

Early career members of Assembly 2 (Respiratory Intensive Care) attended the 2023 European Respiratory Society International Congress in Milan, Italy. The conference covered acute and chronic respiratory failure. Sessions of interest to our assembly members and to those interested in respiratory critical care are summarised in this article and include the latest updates in respiratory intensive care, in particular acute respiratory distress syndrome and mechanical ventilation.

Comparative Anatomic Analysis of Neuronavigated Transmastoid-Infralabyrinthine Approaches for Jugular Fossa Pathologies: Short Anterior Rerouting Versus Nonrerouting and Tailored Nonrerouting Techniques.

Background And Objectives: Access to the jugular fossa pathologies (JFPs) via the transmastoid infralabyrinthine approach (TI-A) using the nonrerouting technique (removing the bone anterior and posterior to the facial nerve while leaving the nerve protected within the fallopian canal) or with the short-rerouting technique (rerouting the mastoid segment of the facial nerve anteriorly) has been described in previous studies. The objective of this study is to compare the access to Fisch class C lesions (JFPs extending or destroying the infralabyrinthine and apical compartment of the temporal bone with or without involving the carotid canal) between the nonrerouting and the short-rerouting techniques. Also, some tailored steps to the nonrerouting technique (NR-T) were outlined to enhance access to the jugular fossa (JF) as an alternative to the short-rerouting technique.

Assessing the feasibility of the transmastoid infralabyrinthine approach without decompression of the jugular bulb to the extradural part of the petrous apex and petroclival junction prior to surgery.

Background And Objective: This study aims to define specific measurements on cranial high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) images prior to surgery to prove the feasibility of the navigated transmastoid infralabyrinthine approach (TI-A) without rerouting of the facial nerve (FN) and decompression of the jugular bulb (JB) in accessing the extradural-intrapetrous part of petrous bone lesions located at the petrous apex and petroclival junction.

Materials And Methods: Vertical and horizontal distances of the infralabyrinthine space were measured on cranial HRCT images prior to dissection. Subsequently, the area of access was measured on dissected human cadaveric specimens.