Aiming at the current situation of performance testing of hemodialysis extracorporeal circulation tubing, which has slow efficiency, inaccurate measurement, and inconvenient testing, a portable detection system for testing the performance of hemodialysis extracorporeal circulation tubing is designed. The system mainly includes a hardware system and a software system. The hardware system uses STM32F407 single-chip microcomputer as the core to design the driving control of the roller pump; the software system uses the C++ real-time operating system, and the flow detection data is transmitted to the upper computer through RS485 communication and displayed. Experimental showed that the system detects the accuracy and the stability of the flow rate. It has the characteristics of stability and high precision. The relative error of the experimental measurement is within the range of ±10%. The weight of the whole machine is 2 kg, which improves the efficiency by 50% compared with the traditional detection method.
Computers ; Equipment Design ; Extracorporeal Circulation ; Microcomputers ; Renal Dialysis ; Software

OBJECTIVES: To study the clinical value of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in the treatment of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical data of 11 neonates with PPHN who were treated with ECMO in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Zhongshan People's Hospital from January 2015 to December 2021, involving the neonates' general information, clinical diagnosis, laboratory results, duration of ECMO treatment, complications during ECMO treatment, length of hospital stay, and outcome. RESULTS: Of the 11 neonates, 10 (91%) had successful weaning from ECMO, and 8 (73%) survived. For the 11 neonates, the mean duration of ECMO treatment was (81±50) hours (range: 26 to 185 hours), the mean duration of ventilator use was (198±105) hours (range: 57 to 392 hours), and the mean length of hospital stay was (22±15) days (range: 2 to 49 days). The oxygenation index and blood lactate level were significantly improved after 24 hours of ECMO treatment among the 11 neonates (P<0.05). Ten neonates had significantly reduced pulmonary artery pressure after 24 hours of ECMO treatment (P<0.05). One neonate had a progressive increase in the pulmonary artery pressure during EMCO treatment, succumbing to death. This neonate was diagnosed with alveolar capillary dysplasia based on the histopathological findings of the lung tissue and whole-exome sequencing results. Among the 11 children, 5 had intracranial hemorrhage, 1 had disseminated intravascular coagulation, 1 had gastric hemorrhage, 2 had pulmonary hemorrhage, 1 had renal insufficiency, and 3 had bleeding at the puncture site during ECMO treatment. CONCLUSIONS ECMO is effective for the treatment of PPHN, however, the high incidence of complications of ECMO treatment suggests that it is important to carefully assess the indications and timing of ECMO treatment and improve the management of ECMO, which can improve the weaning rate and survival rate.
Child ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary/therapy* ; Infant, Newborn ; Lung Diseases ; Persistent Fetal Circulation Syndrome/therapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

Extracorporeal Circulation ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; pathology ; surgery ; Neoplasm Staging ; Retrospective Studies ; Thoracic Surgical Procedures

Pheochromocytoma can present with various symptoms including cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrest. Particularly, in cases of cardiogenic shock of unknown origin, pheochromocytoma should be considered. A 20-year-old woman without any medical history visited our emergency department due to nausea, vomiting, headache, and chest pain. Echocardiography revealed severe left ventricular dysfunction. Mechanical ventilation and veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) were implemented owing to her unstable vital signs. For unstable vital sign and cardiogenic shock in a young woman without any previous medical history, pheochromocytoma was considered and diagnosed based on elevated levels of catecholamine derivatives in a 24-hour urine sample. Cardiac function recovered and ECMO was discontinued on the 5th day of hospitalization. She later underwent an elective adrenalectomy and no recurrence was found during the follow-up period. We reported a case of pheochromocytoma which was presented with cardiogenic shock in a young woman with no concomitant disease, and successfully treated with ECMO followed by an elective adrenalectomy.
Adrenalectomy ; Chest Pain ; Echocardiography ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Extracorporeal Circulation* ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Headache ; Heart Arrest ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Nausea ; Pheochromocytoma ; Recurrence ; Respiration, Artificial ; Shock, Cardiogenic* ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left ; Vital Signs ; Vomiting ; Young Adult

Alveolar capillary dysplasia with misalignment of pulmonary veins (ACD/MPV) is an autosomal dominant, fatal developmental disorder of the lungs, with a mortality rate of about 100%. ACD/MPV is caused by mutations in FOXF1. Herein, we describe a newborn boy with ACD/MPV carrying a novel pathogenic variant of FOXF1. The patient developed respiratory distress and severe pulmonary hypertension on the first day of life. Despite aggressive cardiorespiratory management, including veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, his condition deteriorated rapidly, and he died within the first month of his life. Lung histology showed the characteristic features of ACD/MPV at autopsy. Sequence analysis of FOXF1 from genomic DNA obtained from autopsied lung tissue revealed that the patient was heterozygous for a novel missense variant (c.305T>C; p.Leu102Pro). Further analysis of both parents confirmed the de novo occurrence of the variant. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of genetically confirmed ACD/MPV in Korea.
Autopsy ; DNA ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Infant, Newborn* ; Korea ; Lung ; Male ; Mortality ; Parents ; Persistent Fetal Circulation Syndrome* ; Sequence Analysis

Pheochromocytoma can present with various symptoms including cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrest. Particularly, in cases of cardiogenic shock of unknown origin, pheochromocytoma should be considered. A 20-year-old woman without any medical history visited our emergency department due to nausea, vomiting, headache, and chest pain. Echocardiography revealed severe left ventricular dysfunction. Mechanical ventilation and veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) were implemented owing to her unstable vital signs. For unstable vital sign and cardiogenic shock in a young woman without any previous medical history, pheochromocytoma was considered and diagnosed based on elevated levels of catecholamine derivatives in a 24-hour urine sample. Cardiac function recovered and ECMO was discontinued on the 5th day of hospitalization. She later underwent an elective adrenalectomy and no recurrence was found during the follow-up period. We reported a case of pheochromocytoma which was presented with cardiogenic shock in a young woman with no concomitant disease, and successfully treated with ECMO followed by an elective adrenalectomy.
Adrenalectomy ; Chest Pain ; Echocardiography ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Extracorporeal Circulation ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Headache ; Heart Arrest ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Nausea ; Pheochromocytoma ; Recurrence ; Respiration, Artificial ; Shock, Cardiogenic ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left ; Vital Signs ; Vomiting ; Young Adult

Controlled-release carbamazepine (CBZ) could be more harmful than the regular form in special situations due to their respective biochemical characteristics. When primary treatment is not effective in acute intoxication, extracorporeal treatment (ECTR) could be an option. We recently applied ECTR to a patient with combined intoxication of topiramate and controlled-release CBZ who deteriorated despite receiving primary treatment. The patient improved after administering ECTR. Early ECTR intervention may be beneficial for the treatment of CBZ intoxication, especially of the controlled-release form.
Carbamazepine* ; Extracorporeal Circulation ; Humans

BACKGROUND: Extracorporeal circulation (ECC) can induce alterations in blood viscoelasticity and cause red blood cell (RBC) aggregation. In this study, the authors evaluated the effects of pump flow pulsatility on blood viscoelasticity and RBC aggregation. METHODS: Mongrel dogs were randomly assigned to two groups: a nonpulsatile pump group (n=6) or a pulsatile pump group (n=6). After ECC was started at a pump flow rate of 80 mL/kg/min, cardiac fibrillation was induced. Blood sampling was performed before and at 1, 2, and 3 hours after ECC commencement. To eliminate bias induced by hematocrit and plasma, all blood samples were adjusted to a hematocrit of 45% using baseline plasma. Blood viscoelasticity, plasma viscosity, hematocrit, arterial blood gas analysis, central venous O2 saturation, and lactate were measured. RESULTS: The blood viscosity and aggregation index decreased abruptly 1 hour after ECC and then remained low during ECC in both groups, but blood elasticity did not change during ECC. Blood viscosity, blood elasticity, plasma viscosity, and the aggregation index were not significantly different in the groups at any time. Hematocrit decreased abruptly 1 hour after ECC in both groups due to dilution by the priming solution used. CONCLUSION: After ECC, blood viscoelasticity and RBC aggregation were not different in the pulsatile and nonpulsatile groups in the adult dog model. Furthermore, pulsatile flow did not have a more harmful effect on blood viscoelasticity or RBC aggregation than nonpulsatile flow.
Adult ; Animals ; Bias (Epidemiology) ; Blood Gas Analysis ; Blood Viscosity ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Dogs ; Elasticity ; Erythrocytes* ; Extracorporeal Circulation* ; Hematocrit ; Hematology ; Humans ; Lactic Acid ; Plasma ; Pulsatile Flow ; Viscosity

Scrub typhus, caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, is an acute febrile illness. Characteristics of tsutsugamushi disease are fever, rash and eschar. However, severe complications might rarely occur, such as acute fulminant myocarditis caused by scrub typhus. Thus, there are few reports of recovery from seriously complicated cases. We report on an adult male with scrub typhus complicated with acute fulminant myocarditis with no previous comorbid illness who recovered successfully with proper treatment including antibiotics, ventilator support, percutaneous cardiopulmonary support, and continuous renal replacement therapy.
Adult ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Exanthema ; Extracorporeal Circulation ; Fever ; Humans ; Male ; Myocarditis* ; Orientia tsutsugamushi ; Renal Replacement Therapy ; Scrub Typhus* ; Ventilators, Mechanical

BACKGROUND: The use of extracorporeal life support (ECLS) in the setting of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) has shown improved outcomes compared with conventional CPR. The aim of this study was to determine factors predictive of survival in extracorporeal CPR (E-CPR). METHODS: Consecutive 85 adult patients (median age, 59 years; range, 18 to 85 years; 56 males) who underwent E-CPR from May 2005 to December 2012 were evaluated. RESULTS: Causes of arrest were cardiogenic in 62 patients (72.9%), septic in 18 patients (21.2%), and hypovolemic in 3 patients (3.5%), while the etiology was not specified in 2 patients (2.4%). The survival rate in patients with septic etiology was significantly poorer compared with those with another etiology (0% vs. 24.6%, p=0.008). Septic etiology (hazard ratio [HR], 2.84; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.49 to 5.44; p=0.002) and the interval between arrest and ECLS initiation (HR, 1.05 by 10 minutes increment; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.09; p=0.005) were independent risk factors for mortality. When the predictive value of the E-CPR timing for in-hospital mortality was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic curve method, the greatest accuracy was obtained at a cutoff of 60.5 minutes (area under the curve, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.80; p=0.032) with 47.8% sensitivity and 88.9% specificity. The survival rate was significantly different according to the cutoff of 60.5 minutes (p=0.001). CONCLUSION: These results indicate that efforts should be made to minimize the time between arrest and ECLS application, optimally within 60 minutes. In addition, E-CPR in patients with septic etiology showed grave outcomes, suggesting it to be of questionable benefit in these patients.
Adult ; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation* ; Extracorporeal Circulation ; Heart Arrest ; Hospital Mortality ; Humans ; Hypovolemia ; Methods ; Mortality ; Risk Factors ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sepsis ; Survival Rate