Interventional Lung Assist Membrane Ventilator Research Articles

Pearls and pitfalls in managing right heart failure in cardiac surgery.

To review the recent insights in the evaluation and management of perioperative (RHF). Recent studies highlight the potential role of myocardial deformation imaging in the evaluation of patients at risk of postoperative RHF. There is also a growing interest to study the value of load-adaptation indices of the right heart in the setting of pulmonary hypertension or left ventricular assist device implantation. Finally, the field of temporary extracorporeal life support devices for RHF is rapidly evolving and new strategies are emerging. An integrated approach for assessing the cardiopulmonary axis combining imaging, hemodynamic and tissue perfusion monitoring is emerging, as particularly helpful in the field. Several developments in the field of temporary right heart support including the pumpless interventional lung assist membrane ventilator are offering new opportunities to support the right-heart pulmonary circulation. Future multicenter studies are needed to develop more effective preventive and therapeutic strategies for RHF.

Worsening Oxygenation despite the Use of a Novalung iLa Membrane Ventilator

We describe the case of a 31-year-old man admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with hypercapnia and hypoxia secondary to Aspergillosis, Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia and tuberculosis. The patient was treated with conventional lung-protective ventilation strategies. He subsequently had a Novalung® interventional lung assist membrane ventilator (iMV) inserted due to worsening hypercapnia. His condition initially improved; however eight days after insertion the iMV appeared to be associated with worsening oxygenation.

Novel Uses of Arteriovenous Extra-Corporeal Membrane Carbon Dioxide Removal (AV-ECCO2R) – Two Case Studies

Extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal (ECCO2R) device technologies have enhanced the management of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and other lung pathologies necessitating low tidal volume protective ventilation. We report the novel use of the interventional Lung Assist Membrane Ventilator® (iLA, Novalung GmbH) in a multi-trauma patient with pulmonary contusion and pre-existing cyanotic congenital heart disease and in a patient with raised intracranial pressure in the context of acute liver failure and primary graft non-function. In both cases, heart-lung interactions were complex, but AV-ECCO2R brought about significant improvements in respiratory indices and left/right ventricular function. The device facilitated restoration of homeostasis where other therapeutic options were limited or had failed.

Arterial Chimney Graft Cannulation for Interventional Lung Assist

An interventional lung assist membrane ventilator (iLA) for arteriovenous extracorporeal CO2 removal was connected to a small-diameter femoral artery by use of a chimney graft in an underweight patient with acute respiratory failure and a previous history of heart-lung transplantation. This concept offers additional therapeutic options in underweight patients requiring extracorporeal CO2 removal with arterial vessels that are too small for percutaneous arterial cannulation with standard-sized percutaneous insertable iLA cannulae.

Treatment of Sepsis and ARDS With Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation and Interventional Lung Assist Membrane Ventilator in a Patient With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

We report an 18-year-old ice skater with acute lymphoblast leukemia. She developed Staphylococcus epidermidis bacteremia, severe sepsis, septic shock, and ARDS following chemotherapy-induced severe bone marrow failure. She was successfully treated with extraordinary life support measures, which included extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, double lumen lung ventilation for management of hemoptysis, and lung assist membrane ventilation. After 57 days of ICU treatment and a year of rehabilitation, the patient has fully regained her functional status, is now finishing high school, and is ice skating again.

Lung Transplantation for Bronchiolitis Obliterans after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Bronchiolitis obliterans (BO) is a late onset complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), and treatment outcome is dismal if it does not respond to immunosuppressive therapy. A 21-year-old male diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia received an allogeneic HSCT from human leukocyte antigen- identical sibling donor. Twenty one months after transplantation, he developed progressive dyspnea and was diagnosed BO. Despite standard immunosuppressive therapy, the patient rapidly progressed to respiratory failure and Novalung® interventional lung-assist membrane ventilator was applied in the intensive care unit. Three months after the diagnosis of BO, the patient underwent bilateral lung transplantation (LT) and was eventually able to wean from the ventilator and the Novalung®. Since the LT, the patient has been under a strict rehabilitation program in order to overcome a severe lower extremity weakness and muscle atrophy. Histologic findings of the explanted lungs confirmed the diagnosis of BO. Nine months after the LT, the patient showed no signs of rejection or infectious complications, but still required rehabilitation treatment. This is the first LT performed in a patient with BO after allogeneic HSCT in Korea. LT can be an effective therapy in terms of survival for patients with respiratory failure secondary to development of BO following HSCT.

Effect of acute kidney injury requiring extended dialysis on 28 day and 1 year survival of patients undergoing interventional lung assist membrane ventilator treatment

BackgroundExtracorporeal lung assist devices are increasingly used in the intensive care unit setting to improve extracorporeal gas exchange mainly in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. ARDS is frequently accompanied by acute kidney injury; however it is so far unknown how the combination of these two conditions affects long term survival of critically ill patients.MethodsIn a retrospective analysis of a tertiary care hospital we evaluated all patients undergoing interventional lung assist (iLA) treatment between January 1st 2005 and December 31st 2009. Data from all 61 patients (31 F/30 M), median age 40 (28 to 52) years were obtained by chart review. Follow up data up to one year were obtained.ResultsOf the 61 patients undergoing iLA membrane ventilator treatment 21 patients had acute kidney injury network (AKIN) stage 3 and were treated by extended dialysis (ED). Twenty-eight day survival of all patients was 33%. While patients without ED showed a 28 day survival of 40%, the survival of patients with ED was only 19%. Patients on ED were not different in respect to age, weight, Horowitz index and underlying disease.ConclusionsAKI requiring ED therapy in patients undergoing iLA treatment increases mortality in ICU patients. Patients in whom iLA was placed as a bridge to lung transplantation and that were successfully transplanted showed the best outcome. Future studies have to clarify whether it is possible to identify patients that truly benefit from the combination of these two extracorporeal treatment methods.

Extrapulmonary Ventilation for Unresponsive Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome After Pulmonary Resection

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of integrating an artificial, pumpless extracorporeal membrane ventilator (Novalung) to near static mechanical ventilation and its efficacy in patients with severe postresectional acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) unresponsive to optimal conventional treatment. Indications were severe postresectional and unresponsive acute respiratory distress syndrome, hemodynamic stability, and no significant peripheral arterial occlusive disease or heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. Management included placement of the arteriovenous femoral transcutaneous interventional lung-assist membrane ventilator, lung rest at minimal mechanical ventilator settings, and optimization of systemic oxygen consumption and delivery. Among 239 pulmonary resections performed between 2005 and 2006, 7 patients (2.9%) experienced, 4 +/- 0.8 days after 5 pneumonectomies and 2 lobectomies, a severe (Murray score, 2.9 +/- 0.3) acute respiratory distress syndrome unresponsive to 4 +/- 2 days of conventional therapy. The interventional lung-assist membrane ventilator was left in place 4.3 +/- 2.5 days, and replaced only once for massive clotting. During this time, 29% +/- 0.3% or 1.4 +/- 0.36 L/min of the cardiac output perfused the device, without hemodynamic impairment. Using a sweep gas flow of 10.7 +/- 3.8 L/min, the device allowed an extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal of 255 +/- 31 mL/min, lung(s) rest (tidal volume, 2.7 +/- 0.8 mL/kg; respiratory rate, 6 +/- 2 beats/min; fraction of inspired oxygen, 0.5 +/- 0.1), early (<24 hours) significant improvement of respiratory function, and reduction of plasmatic interleukin-6 levels (p < 0.001) and Murray score (1.25 +/- 0.1; p < 0.003). All but 1 patient (14%) who died of multiorgan failure were weaned from mechanical ventilation 8 +/- 3 days after removal of the interventional lung-assist membrane ventilator, and all of them were discharged from the hospital. The integration of this device to near static mechanical ventilation of the residual native lung(s) is feasible and highly effective in patients with severe and unresponsive acute respiratory distress syndrome after pulmonary resection.