Transesophageal Echocardiography-Guided Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Cannulation in COVID-19 Patients.
J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth 2022;
36:4296-4304. [PMID:
36038441 PMCID:
PMC9338225 DOI:
10.1053/j.jvca.2022.07.020]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
A paucity of data supports the use of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) for bedside extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) cannulation. Concerns have been raised about performing TEEs in patients with COVID-19. The authors describe the use and safety of TEE guidance for ECMO cannulation for COVID-19.
DESIGN
Single-center retrospective cohort study.
SETTING
The study took place in the intensive care unit of an academic tertiary center.
PARTICIPANTS
The authors included 107 patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection who underwent bedside venovenous ECMO (VV ECMO) cannulation under TEE guidance between May 2020 and June 2021.
INTERVENTIONS
TEE-guided bedside VV ECMO cannulation.
MEASUREMENTS
Patient characteristics, physiologic and ventilatory parameters, and echocardiographic findings were analyzed. The primary outcome was the number of successful TEE-guided bedside cannulations without complications. The secondary outcomes were cannulation complications, frequency of cannula repositioning, and TEE-related complications.
MAIN RESULTS
TEE-guided cannulation was successful in 99% of the patients. Initial cannula position was adequate in all but 1 patient. Fourteen patients (13%) required cannula repositioning during ECMO support. Forty-five patients (42%) had right ventricular systolic dysfunction, and 9 (8%) had left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Twelve patients (11%) had intracardiac thrombi. One superficial arterial injury and 1 pneumothorax occurred. No pericardial tamponade, hemothorax or intraabdominal bleeding occurred in the authors' cohort. No TEE-related complications or COVID-19 infection of healthcare providers were reported during this study.
CONCLUSIONS
Bedside TEE guidance for VV ECMO cannulation is safe in patients with severe respiratory failure due to COVID-19. No tamponade or hemothorax, nor TEE-related complications were observed in the authors' cohort.
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