The successful treatment of refractory respiratory failure due to miliary tuberculosis: survival after prolonged extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support

Background Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a potential option for the management of severe acute respiratory failure secondary to COVID-19. Conflicting the use of this therapy is the known coagulopathy within COVID-19, leading to an incidence of venous thrombotic events of 25% to 49%. To date, limited guidance is available on optimal anticoagulation strategies in this population. Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utilization of a pharmacist-driven bivalirudin dosing protocol for anticoagulation in the setting of ECMO for COVID-19–associated respiratory failure. Methods This was a single-center retrospective chart review over a 9-month period of patients receiving bivalirudin while on ECMO. All patients with acute respiratory failure requiring ECMO with a positive SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction were included. Bivalirudin was dosed via aPTT monitoring after a starting dose of 0.2 or 0.3 mg/kg/h. Results There were 33 patients included in this study, all receiving mechanical ventilation. The most common starting dose of bivalirudin was 0.2 mg/kg/h, with an average time to therapeutic range of 20 hours. Compared to previous reports, rates of bleeding were low at 15.1%, and 6.1% of patients developed a new venous thromboembolic event while on ECMO. ECMO survival was 51.5%, with an ICU mortality rate of 48.5%. Conclusion and Relevance In the first published report of its use within this population, bivalirudin was found to be a viable choice for anticoagulation in those patients on ECMO for severe respiratory failure secondary to COVID-19.

Download Full-text

The Evolution of the Use of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Respiratory Failure

Membranes ◽

10.3390/membranes11070491 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 491

Author(s):

Danielle Feldhaus ◽

Daniel Brodie ◽

Philippe Lemaitre ◽

Joshua Sonett ◽

Cara Agerstrand

Keyword(s):

Respiratory Failure ◽

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation ◽

Influenza A ◽

Distress Syndrome ◽

Rapid Expansion ◽

Membrane Oxygenation ◽

Influenza A H1n1 ◽

Large Randomized Clinical Trial ◽

Ventilator Management ◽

Large Randomized Trial

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been used with increasing frequency to support patients with acute respiratory failure, most commonly, and severe forms of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The marked increase in the global use of ECMO followed the publication of a large randomized trial in 2009 and the experience garnered during the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic, and has been further supported by the release of a large, randomized clinical trial in 2018, confirming a benefit from using ECMO in patients with severe ARDS. Despite a rapid expansion of ECMO-related publications, optimal management of patients receiving ECMO, in terms of patient selection, ventilator management, anticoagulation, and transfusion strategies, is evolving. Most recently, ECMO is being utilized for an expanding variety of conditions, including for cases of severe pulmonary or cardiac failure from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This review evaluates modern evidence for ECMO for respiratory failure and the current challenges in the field.

Download Full-text