BACKGROUND: We investigated the efficacy of an integrated system of advanced supportive care based on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in older patients with an estimated mortality of more than 90% to establish whether its use is justifiable. METHODS: Treatment was provided by cardiac surgeons and critical care physicians and included the following key elements: (1) ECMO, (2) early application of continuous venovenous hemofiltration, (3) inhaled nitric oxide, (4) maintenance of perfusion pressure with norepinephrine, (5) maintenance of pulmonary blood flow by ventricular filling with intravenous colloids, (6) avoidance of early postoperative anticoagulation, (7) frequent use of transesophageal echocardiography, and (8) low tidal volume ventilation. Demographic features, intraoperative details, postoperative course, ECMO weaning rate, morbidity, survival to hospital discharge, and the quality of life of survivors were recorded. RESULTS: Seventeen consecutive patients (median age, 69 years) with refractory cardiogenic shock were studied. The median duration of ECMO was 86 hours (20 to 201 hours). Eleven patients (65%) were successfully weaned from ECMO. Seven patients (41%) survived to discharge. The major causes of morbidity were bleeding and leg ischemia. All patients who survived to discharge were alive and well at follow-up (median, 21 months) and reported a satisfactory quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: An ECMO-based approach can be used with acceptable results in the treatment of refractory cardiogenic shock, even in older patients.
BACKGROUND: We investigated the efficacy of an integrated system of advanced supportive care based on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in older patients with an estimated mortality of more than 90% to establish whether its use is justifiable. METHODS: Treatment was provided by cardiac surgeons and critical care physicians and included the following key elements: (1) ECMO, (2) early application of continuous venovenous hemofiltration, (3) inhaled nitric oxide, (4) maintenance of perfusion pressure with norepinephrine, (5) maintenance of pulmonary blood flow by ventricular filling with intravenous colloids, (6) avoidance of early postoperative anticoagulation, (7) frequent use of transesophageal echocardiography, and (8) low tidal volume ventilation. Demographic features, intraoperative details, postoperative course, ECMO weaning rate, morbidity, survival to hospital discharge, and the quality of life of survivors were recorded. RESULTS: Seventeen consecutive patients (median age, 69 years) with refractory cardiogenic shock were studied. The median duration of ECMO was 86 hours (20 to 201 hours). Eleven patients (65%) were successfully weaned from ECMO. Seven patients (41%) survived to discharge. The major causes of morbidity were bleeding and leg ischemia. All patients who survived to discharge were alive and well at follow-up (median, 21 months) and reported a satisfactory quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: An ECMO-based approach can be used with acceptable results in the treatment of refractory cardiogenic shock, even in older patients.
Authors: Shinichi Fukuhara; Koji Takeda; Arthur Reshad Garan; Paul Kurlansky; Jonathan Hastie; Yoshifumi Naka; Hiroo Takayama Journal: Gen Thorac Cardiovasc Surg Date: 2016-02-13
Authors: Edward Gologorsky; Francisco Igor B Macedo; Enisa M Carvalho; Angela Gologorsky; Marco Ricci; Tomas A Salerno Journal: Anesthesiol Res Pract Date: 2010-06-03
Authors: Roberto Lorusso; Giuseppe Maria Raffa; Khalid Alenizy; Niels Sluijpers; Maged Makhoul; Daniel Brodie; Mike McMullan; I-Wen Wang; Paolo Meani; Graeme MacLaren; Mariusz Kowalewski; Heidi Dalton; Ryan Barbaro; Xiaotong Hou; Nicholas Cavarocchi; Yih-Sharng Chen; Ravi Thiagarajan; Peta Alexander; Bahaaldin Alsoufi; Christian A Bermudez; Ashish S Shah; Jonathan Haft; David A D'Alessandro; Udo Boeken; Glenn J R Whitman Journal: J Heart Lung Transplant Date: 2019-08-10 Impact factor: 10.247
Authors: Priya R Menon; Anna Flo Forner; Mateo Marin-Cuartas; Sven Lehmann; Diyar Saeed; André Ginther; Michael A Borger; Jörg Ender Journal: Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg Date: 2021-05-10