Acute Kidney Injury in Patients With Veno-venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: An Observational Retrospective Analysis of Risk-factors and Outcome.

Background: AKI is a frequent concomitant organ failure during veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO). This study investigated the prevalence and the impact of AKI on survival to hospital discharge and up to 365 days after discharge, and risk-factors for developing AKI during VV-ECMO.

Methods: This is an observational retrospective study of 500 consecutive patients receiving VV-ECMO between November 2014 and December 2021.

ERS Congress 2024: highlights from the Respiratory Intensive Care Assembly.

https://bit.ly/4b3CUl7.

[Representation of respiratory medicine in medical curricula in Germany: an online survey among final-year medical students and chief physicians].

Students' experiences in medical school may have a significant influence on their later choice of medical specialty, but so far, there has been a lack of objective data on how the subject of pneumology is perceived at German medical schools and where there may be potential for improvement.From July to November 2022, we conducted an online survey among final-year students at German medical schools, as well as chief physicians in the field of pneumology. Students were invited to participate by e-mail via their faculties and the survey was further advertised by the Federal Representation of Medical Students in Germany (BVMD).

Prevalence, Predictors and Decompressive Laparotomy in Abdominal Compartment Syndrome in Patients Requiring Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

Critically ill patients requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) have several risk factors to suffer from abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS). Little is known about this subgroup. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and associated factors for ACS in patients requiring ECMO to assess the effect of decompressive laparotomy (DL) and the impact on mortality.

Highlights from the Respiratory Failure and Mechanical Ventilation Conference 2024.

The Respiratory Intensive Care Assembly of the European Respiratory Society gathered in Berlin to organise the third Respiratory Failure and Mechanical Ventilation Conference in February 2024. The conference covered key points of acute and chronic respiratory failure in adults. During the 3-day conference ventilatory strategies, patient selection, diagnostic approaches, treatment and health-related quality of life topics were addressed by a panel of international experts.

Infection image: cystic pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia - forgotten?

A 43-year-old male patient presented to the emergency department with progressive dyspnea. CT scan showed pronounced cystic lesions and ground glass opacitiy in both lungs and diagnosis of HIV infection was established. Bronchoscopy confirmed diagnosis of pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP).

Nocturnal Cardiac Arrhythmias in Heart Failure With Obstructive and Central Sleep Apnea.

Background: Both obstructive and central sleep apnea (CSA) may contribute to nocturnal cardiac arrhythmias (NCAs). Data are scarce regarding the prevalence of clinically important nocturnal atrial and ventricular arrythmias in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and OSA or CSA.

Research Question: In a cohort of patients with HFrEF, how does the prevalence of NCA compare among those with OSA, CSA, and those with no to mild sleep apnea? Is the severity of OSA or CSA associated with atrial and ventricular NCAs?

Study Design And Methods: This cross-sectional analysis is an ancillary study of the Effect of Adaptive Servo Ventilation on Survival and Hospital Admissions in Heart Failure (ADVENT-HF) trial.

Comparison of transbronchial biopsy techniques using needle and forceps biopsies in lung cancer for molecular diagnostics: a prospective, randomized crossover trial.

Background: In lung cancer, molecular testing and next-generation sequencing (NGS) are needed to identify therapeutic targets and are increasingly being used in earlier stages of the disease. Despite its longstanding use, it remains unclear whether transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) of peripheral lung lesions provides as adequate material for genetic testing as transbronchial forceps biopsies (TBFBs). In this study, we aim to analyze the use of TBNA using median viable cell area (MVCA) as a surrogate parameter to analyze sample quality.

Real-World Data on Tezepelumab in Patients With Severe Asthma in Germany.

Background: Tezepelumab is a novel biologic blocking thymic stromal lymphopoetin, approved for severe asthma irrespective of biomarker levels or phenotype.

Objective: To characterize a real-world tezepelumab patient cohort and the efficacy among various asthma phenotypes.

Methods: We performed a retrospective, multicenter study on patients with severe asthma initiating tezepelumab.

ERS International Congress 2023: highlights from the Respiratory Intensive Care Assembly.

Early career members of Assembly 2 (Respiratory Intensive Care) attended the 2023 European Respiratory Society International Congress in Milan, Italy. The conference covered acute and chronic respiratory failure. Sessions of interest to our assembly members and to those interested in respiratory critical care are summarised in this article and include the latest updates in respiratory intensive care, in particular acute respiratory distress syndrome and mechanical ventilation.

Temporal association of ventricular arrhythmias and respiratory events in heart failure patients with central sleep apnoea.

In contrast to obstructive sleep apnoea, the peak of sympathetic tone in central sleep apnoea occurs during the hyperventilation phase. To explore the temporal association of premature ventricular complex (PVC) burden in the context of the apnoea/hypopnoea-hyperpnoea cycle, the duration of apnoea/hypopnoea was defined as 100 %. We assessed the PVC burden throughout the apnoea/hypopnoea-hyperpnoea cycle during the periods of ±150 % in 50 % increments before and after the apnoea/hypopnoea phase.

Intracranial hemorrhage in a large cohort of patients supported with veno-venous ECMO. A retrospective single-center analysis.

Background: Intracranial bleeding (ICB) is a serious complication during veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-V ECMO), with potentially fatal consequences.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the incidence, time of detection of ICB among patients treated with V-V ECMO and potential risk factors for developing ICB during V-V ECMO.

Methods: Five hundred fifty six patients were included in this retrospective single center analysis.

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Weaning Failure From Venovenous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Patients With Severe Acute Respiratory Insufficiency.

Objective: Analysis of the prevalence and risk factors for weaning failure from venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) in patients with severe acute respiratory insufficiency.

Design: Single-center retrospective observational study.

Setting: Sixteen beds medical ICU at the University Hospital Regensburg.

Interview with the ECM Award winner 2022 and introducing the new ECM members.

https://bit.ly/3BSRgV2.

Highlights from the Respiratory Failure and Mechanical Ventilation 2022 Conference.

The Respiratory Intensive Care Assembly of the European Respiratory Society gathered in Berlin to organise the second Respiratory Failure and Mechanical Ventilation Conference in June 2022. The conference covered several key points of acute and chronic respiratory failure in adults. During the 3-day conference, ventilatory strategies, patient selection, diagnostic approaches, treatment and health-related quality of life topics were addressed by a panel of international experts.

Major Bleeding and Thromboembolic Events in Veno-Venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation-Patients With Isolated Respiratory Failure.

Bleeding and thromboembolic events are common during veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (vvECMO). It is unknown whether these complications are driven by the ECMO system itself, multiorgan-failure, or both. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of bleeding and thromboembolic events in patients with isolated respiratory failure.