Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a novel mechanical system that provides respiratory and/or hemodynamic support to patients with severe respiratory or cardiac failure.These patients generally develop a state of increased metabolic activity accompanied by elevated catabolism of protein and negative nitrogen balance.Moreover,provision of adequate nutritional therapy is hard to achieve due to various factors.Nutrition support for these patients is hence a critical issue.This article provides a brief overview of the current literature regarding nutritional support during ECMO in adult patients,as no current guidelines address this issue.

Objective To investigate the clinical features of invasive bronchial-pulmonary aspergillosis (IBPA) in critically ill patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD).Methods Clinical data of 7 COPD patients complicated with IBPA from respiratory intensive care unit (RICU) in Beijing Chaoyang Hospital during April 2006 and August 2012 were retrospectively analyzed.Results All patients were treated with several kinds of broad-spectrum antibiotics and 6 patients were also treated with large dose of corticosteroids before their admission to RICU.The most frequent clinical manifestations were fever,persistent bronchospasm induced dyspnea and bilateral wheezing which were unresponsive to large doses of corticosteroids and broad-spectrum antibiotics.In 5 patients with both aspergillus tracheobronchitis (ATB) and invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA),bronchoscopy showed tracheobronchial inflammation,bronchospasm,phlegm and bronchial pseudomembrane formation.All these 5 patients had a rapid progression from normal to infiltrates or consolidation in chest X-ray,and died of respiratory failure or multiple organ failure.The other 2 cases were diagnosed with ATB and received prophylactic antifungal treatments before infiltrates were shown on their chest X-ray.Both of them survived.Conclusions In COPD patients combined with IBPA,ATB may progress rapidly to IPA which affect lung parenchyma and lead a high mortality.Bronchoscopy and bronchial mucous biopsy may be helpful in early diagnosis and treatment.

Objective:To discuss how to avoid the occurrence of adverse events and provides basis for improving the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) transport safety management to formulate the corresponding preventive measures through analyzing the causes and characteristics of adverse events in transport of ECMO.Methods:By using a self-designed ECMO transport observation table to collect data, with a retrospective study of adverse events in patients with ECMO transport in ECMO center of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital from January 2013 to June 2017, carrying out classification and analysis according to the causes of adverse events and the potential risks of the patients, thus put forward the feasible preventive measures.Results:There were 53 cases of ECMO transport in study period, with 18 cases (33.96%) of adverse events, among which the incidence of adverse events in inner-hospital transport was 34.21% (13/38) and that in inter-hospital transport was 33.33% (5/15). There was no patient died in ECMO transport. In the adverse events of ECMO transport, the main causes were related to transport staff, transport equipment and patient, which accounting for 1/3 of each. Among them, the most prominent was 4 cases (22.22%) of equipment lacking and 3 cases of battery and power supply (16.67%). In classification according to the risk degree of patients, 6 cases (33.33%) of third grade risk were found.Conclusions:It is safe and feasible to carry out ECMO transport in inner-hospital transport and inter-hospital transport based on ECMO transport team and transport process of this hospital. However the unexpected events of high risk or crisis of life is inevitable in ECMO transport. Through standardized training for ECMO team, with full assessment before transport, by the use of ECMO checklist and strict implementation of various transport processes and specifications, the incidence of adverse events in ECMO transport may be reduced.

Adult ; Aneurysm ; complications ; Bronchial Arteries ; pathology ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation ; methods ; Female ; Hemoptysis ; etiology ; therapy ; Humans

BACKGROUNDCritically ill chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) due to respiratory failure are at particularly high risk of Aspergillus infection. The serum galactomannan index (GMI) has proven to be one of the prognostic criteria for invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) in classical immunocompromised patients. However, the prognostic value of serum GMI in critically ill COPD patients needs evaluation. The purpose of this study is to investigate the prognostic value of serum GMI in patients with severe COPD.

METHODSIn this single-center prospective cohort study, serum samples for GMI assay were collected twice a week from the first day of ICU admission to the day of the patients' discharge or death. Patients were divided into two groups according to their clinical outcome on the 28th day of their ICU admission. Univariate analysis and survival analysis were tested in these two groups.

RESULTSOne hundred and fifty-three critically ill COPD patients were included and were divided into survival group (106 cases) and non-survival group (47 cases) according to their outcome. Univariate analysis showed that the highest GMI level during the first week after admission (GMI-high 1st week) was statistically different between the two groups. Independent prognostic factors for poor outcome in severe COPD patients were: GMI-high 1st week >0.5 (RR: 4.04, 95% CI: 2.17-7.51) combined with accumulative dosage of corticosteroids >216 mg before the RICU admission (RR: 2.25, 95% CI: 1.11-4.56) and clearance of creatinine (Ccr) ≤ 64.31 ml/min (RR: 2.48, 95% CI: 1.22 ± 5.07).

CONCLUSIONSThe positive GMI-high 1st week (>0.5) combined with an accumulative dosage of corticosteroids >216 mg before the ICU admission and a low Ccr may predicate a poor outcome of critically ill COPD patients.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Critical Illness ; Female ; Humans ; Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis ; blood ; complications ; pathology ; Male ; Mannans ; blood ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; blood ; etiology ; pathology