Long-term quality of life in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for refractory hypoxaemia

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for critically ill adults in the emergency department: history, current applications, and future directions

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a mode of extracorporeal life support that augments oxygenation, ventilation and/or cardiac output via cannulae connected to a circuit that pumps blood through an oxygenator and back into the patient. ECMO has been used for decades to support cardiopulmonary disease refractory to conventional therapy. While not robust, there are promising data for the use of ECMO in acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, cardiac arrest, and cardiogenic shock and the potential indications for ECMO continue to increase. This review discusses the existing literature on the potential use of ECMO in critically ill patients within the emergency department.

Extracorporeal gas exchange for acute respiratory failure in adult patients: a systematic review

This article is one of ten reviews selected from the Annual Update in Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine 2015 and co-published as a series in Critical Care. Other articles in the series can be found online at http://ccforum.com/series/annualupdate2015. Further information about the Annual Update in Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine is available from http://www.springer.com/series/8901.

Extracorporeal circulatory approaches to treat acute respiratory distress syndrome

The early history of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for adult patients with the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) evolved slowly over decades, a consequence of extracorporeal technology with high risk and unclear benefit. However, advances in component technology, accumulating evidence, and growing experience in recent years have resulted in a resurgence of interest in ECMO. Extracorporeal support, though currently lacking high-level evidence, has the potential to improve outcomes, including survival, in ARDS. In the near future, novel extracorporeal management strategies may, in fact, lead to a new paradigm in the approach to certain patients with ARDS.

Influence of different oxygenator types on changing frequency, infection incidence, and mortality in ARDS patients on veno-venous ECMO

PURPOSE

Veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (vv-ECMO) is pivotal in the treatment of patients suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Comparative data with different oxygenator models have not yet been reported. The aim of this retrospective investigation was therefore to assess whether different oxygenator types might influence changing frequency, infection incidence, and mortality in patients on vv-ECMO.

METHODS

42 patients undergoing vv-ECMO between 1998 and 2009 were identified. In 20 out of these patients, a polypropylene (PP) microporous hollow fiber membrane oxygenator, and in 22 patients a nonmicroporous polymethylpentene (PMP) diffusion membrane oxygenator was used. Infection incidence, changing frequency, and mortality were documented.

RESULTS

In the PMP group, an oxygenator change was necessary less often than in the PP group (p<0.001). The incidence of bacterial, viral, or fungal growth was similar in the groups, thus independent of the frequency of oxygenator change. Irrespective of the groups, the occurrence of Candida sp. tended to correlate with death (p = 0.06). In general, there was a trend towards a higher infection incidence in the subgroup with pulmonary ARDS (p = 0.07). Moreover, infection incidence was associated with a longer ICU stay (p = 0.03) and longer ECMO therapy (p = 0.03). ICU mortality was lower in the PMP group than in the PP group, although not statistically significant (p = 0.10).

CONCLUSIONS

The PMP oxygenator membranes showed benefits with regards to changing frequency, but not infection incidence, length of ICU stay, and length of ECMO therapy. There was a trend towards a lower ICU mortality in patients with PMP oxygenators.

Identification and prevalence of PTSD risk factors in ECMO patients: A single centre study

BACKGROUND

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is one of the most invasive rescue therapies for acute heart and/or lung failure. Survivors have high rates of adverse mental health outcomes, such as post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and manifest post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Yet no study to date has identified and explored PTSD risk factors in these patients.

OBJECTIVES

The primary aim of this study was to determine and explore post-traumatic stress risk factors for patients treated with ECMO. It also aimed to provide a baseline profile for future hypothesis testing with respect to risk factor exposure, level of exposure and post-traumatic stress outcomes in these patients.

METHODS DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

The study was conducted at the Alfred Hospital Melbourne, Australia.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients were selected in 2012 from an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) registry that prospectively included all patients admitted to ICU and treated with ECMO.

DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS

Data were extracted from the ICU ECMO registry, ICU and ward charts, progress notes, referrals, drug charts and discharge letters. Data were descriptively analysed.

RESULTS

Patients treated with ECMO are exposed to almost all investigated PTSD risk factors. These included psychiatric history (psychiatric comorbidities), admission to ICU and treatment (prolonged ventilation during prolonged ICU stay), and drug therapy (all patients treated with PTSD risk related drugs).

CONCLUSION

ECMO patients are exposed to PTSD risk factors such as young age, mechanical ventilation, drug administration, delirium and agitation. Younger age, heterogeneous conditions, profound illness severity and prolonged ICU stay describe the case complexity of patients and may explain these findings. Patients in ICU are increasingly conscious during active treatment and this may have positive or negative psychological effects. "Awake" ECMO in which patients are conscious while on active life support may represent a unique PTSD risk factor in this perspective.

[Veno-venous extracorporeal support to treat acute respiratory distress syndrome: Rationale and clinical objectives]

Les techniques de circulation extracorporelle (CEC) peuvent être utilisées dans les défaillances respiratoires graves des syndromes de détresse respiratoire aiguë (SDRA) avec trois objectifs : 1) assurer une oxygénation satisfaisante en court-circuitant le poumon malade grâce à une circulation veinoveineuse à haut débit ; cette technique assure sans difficulté l’épuration de CO₂ ; 2) assurer avant tout une élimination partielle de CO₂ dans le but de protéger le poumon d’une ventilation mécanique dangereuse. Des débits sanguins quatre à cinq fois plus faibles sont suffisants avec une circulation veinoveineuse ou artérioveineuse sans pompe ; 3) exceptionnellement, la prise en charge d’une défaillance cardiaque associée peut nécessiter une circulation veinoartérielle à haut débit. Des études physiologiques détaillées et des essais cliniques sont indispensables pour mieux connaître les indications de ces techniques.

Year in review 2012: Critical Care--management

Outcomes research plays a key role in defining the effects of medical care in critical care. Last year Critical Care published a number of papers that evaluated patient-centered and policy-relevant outcomes. We present this review article focusing on key reported outcomes associated with severe community-acquired pneumonia, mortality associated with decisions regarding triage to the ICU, and both short-term and long-term mortality associated with ICU admissions. We further analyze the literature, assessing outcomes such as quality of life and the psychological burden associated with critical care. We also reviewed processes of care, and studies looking at cost analysis of treatment associated with critical care.

To ventilate, oscillate, or cannulate?

Ventilatory management of acute respiratory distress syndrome has evolved significantly in the last few decades. The aims have shifted from optimal gas transfer without concern for iatrogenic risks to adequate gas transfer while minimizing lung injury. This change in focus, along with improved ventilator and multiorgan system management, has resulted in a significant improvement in patient outcomes. Despite this, a number of patients develop hypoxemic respiratory failure refractory to lung-protective ventilation (LPV). The intensivist then faces the dilemma of either persisting with LPV using adjuncts (neuromuscular blocking agents, prone positioning, recruitment maneuvers, inhaled nitric oxide, inhaled prostacyclin, steroids, and surfactant) or making a transition to rescue therapies such as high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) and/or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) when both these modalities are at their disposal. The lack of quality evidence and potential harm reported in recent studies question the use of HFOV as a routine rescue option. Based on current literature, the role for venovenous (VV) ECMO is probably sequential as a salvage therapy to ensure ultraprotective ventilation in selected young patients with potentially reversible respiratory failure who fail LPV despite neuromuscular paralysis and prone ventilation. Given the risk profile and the economic impact, future research should identify the patients who benefit most from VV ECMO. These choices may be further influenced by the emerging novel extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal devices that can compliment LPV. Given the heterogeneity of acute respiratory distress syndrome, each of these modalities may play a role in an individual patient. Future studies comparing LPV, HFOV, and VV ECMO should not only focus on defining the patients who benefit most from each of these therapies but also consider long-term functional outcomes.

The PRESERVE mortality risk score and analysis of long-term outcomes after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for severe acute respiratory distress syndrome

Purpose

This study was designed to identify factors associated with death by 6 months post-intensive care unit (ICU) discharge and to develop a practical mortality risk score for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)-treated acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients. We also assessed long-term survivors’ health-related quality of life (HRQL), respiratory symptoms, and anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) frequencies.

Methods

Data from 140 ECMO-treated ARDS patients admitted to three French ICUs (2008–2012) were analyzed. ICU survivors contacted >6 months post-ICU discharge were assessed for HRQL, psychological and PTSD status.

Results

Main ARDS etiologies were bacterial (45 %), influenza A[H₁N₁] (26 %) and post-operative (17 %) pneumonias. Six months post-ICU discharge, 84 (60 %) patients were still alive. Based on multivariable logistic regression analysis, the PRESERVE (PRedicting dEath for SEvere ARDS on VV-ECMO) score (0–14 points) was constructed with eight pre-ECMO parameters, i.e. age, body mass index, immunocompromised status, prone positioning, days of mechanical ventilation, sepsis-related organ failure assessment, plateau pressure andpositive end-expiratory pressure. Six-month post-ECMO initiation cumulative probabilities of survival were 97, 79, 54 and 16 % for PRESERVE classes 0–2, 3–4, 5–6 and ≥7 (p < 0.001), respectively. HRQL evaluation in 80 % of the 6-month survivors revealed satisfactory mental health but persistent physical and emotional-related difficulties, with anxiety, depression or PTSD symptoms reported, by 34, 25 or 16 %, respectively.

Conclusions

The PRESERVE score might help ICU physicians select appropriate candidates for ECMO among severe ARDS patients. Future studies should also focus on physical and psychosocial rehabilitation that could lead to improved HRQL in this population.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00134-013-3037-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Psychiatric outcome after severe cardio-respiratory failure treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: a case-series

BACKGROUND

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is increasingly used to save patients with severe cardiopulmonary failure at high risk of dying, but the long-term psychiatric outcome of the treatment has not been studied.

METHODS

Twenty-eight adults who survived ECMO were subjected to psychiatric assessment 5 years after ECMO by means of interviews (MINI-Neuropsychiatric Interview and Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale) and psychometrics [Neuroticism and social conformity (EPQ-N+L); General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale; Aggression Questionnaire, Toronto Alexithymia Scale, and Giessener somatic symptom checklist (GBB)].

RESULTS

Fifteen patients (54%) suffered lifetime psychiatric disorders prior to ECMO. After ECMO, 11 subjects (39%) developed new psychiatric disorders, mostly organic mental (18%), obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) 15%, and/or post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) 11%. These 11 patients reported higher scores on Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), GHQ, EPQ-N, and GBB. Disregarding the presence of psychiatric disorders at follow-up, ECMO patients reported high levels of distress, physical aggression, anger, and alexithymic traits.

CONCLUSIONS

Severe life-threatening cardiovascular or pulmonary failure with subsequent ECMO is associated with an increased prevalence of long-term psychiatric disorders and distress. Studies addressing the etiology and prevalence of psychiatric consequences after ECMO are needed.