ECMO for COVID-19 patients in Europe and Israel

Since March 15th, 2020, 177 centres from Europe and Israel have joined the study, routinely reporting on the ECMO support they provide to COVID-19 patients. The mean annual number of cases treated with ECMO in the participating centres before the pandemic (2019) was 55. The number of COVID-19 patients has increased rapidly each week reaching 1531 treated patients as of September 14th. The greatest number of cases has been reported from France (n = 385), UK (n = 193), Germany (n = 176), Spain (n = 166), and Italy (n = 136) .The mean age of treated patients was 52.6 years (range 16–80), 79% were male. The ECMO configuration used was VV in 91% of cases, VA in 5% and other in 4%. The mean PaO2 before ECMO implantation was 65 mmHg. The mean duration of ECMO support thus far has been 18 days and the mean ICU length of stay of these patients was 33 days. As of the 14th September, overall 841 patients have been weaned from ECMO support, 601 died during ECMO support, 71 died after withdrawal of ECMO, 79 are still receiving ECMO support and for 10 patients status n.a. . Our preliminary data suggest that patients placed on ECMO with severe refractory respiratory or cardiac failure secondary to COVID-19 have a reasonable (55%) chance of survival. Further extensive data analysis is expected to provide invaluable information on the demographics, severity of illness, indications and different ECMO management strategies in these patients

Update - intoxications in critical care medicine

While monitoring and symptomatic care is sufficient for most intoxicated patients, some develop life threatening symptoms. We present recent changes in the recommendations of the treatment in patients with calcium channel blocker, beta blocker and high dose paracetamol intoxications. Additionally, new insights in the efficacy and safety of the use of physostigmine in anticholinergic patients and beta blockers in cocaine intoxication are discussed as well as the specific considerations in the resuscitation of intoxicated patients

Higher chance of survival in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest attributed to poisoning

Aim of the study: Description and comparison of cohort characteristics and outcome of adult patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) attributed to poisoning (P-OHCA) versus patients with OHCA attributed to other medical causes (NP-OHCA). Methods: We included all patients who received cardiopulmonary resuscitation after OHCA between January 2011 and December 2020 from German emergency medical services with good data quality in the German Resuscitation Registry. Exclusion criteria: patients < 18 years of age or OHCA attributed to trauma, drowning, intracranial bleeding or exsanguination. Results: Patients with P-OHCA (n = 574) were significantly younger compared to NP-OHCA (n = 40,146) (median age of 43 (35-54) years vs. 73 (62-82) years; p < 0.001). Cardiac arrest in P-OHCA patients was significantly less often witnessed by bystanders (41.8 % vs. 66.2 %, p < 0.001). Asystole was the predominant initial rhythm in P-OHCA patients (73.5% vs. 53.7%, p < 0.001) while ventricular fibrillation (VF) and pulseless electrical activity (PEA) were less common (9.2% vs. 25.1% and 16.2 % vs. 20.5%, p < 0.001). P-OHCA had a higher chance of survival with good neurological outcome at hospital discharge (15.2 vs. 8.8 % p < 0.001) and poisoning was an independent protective prognostic factor in multivariate analysis (OR 2.47, 95%-CI [1.71-3.57]). P-OHCA patients with initial PEA survival with good neurological outcome was comparable to initial VF (34.3 % vs. 37.7%). Conclusion: Patients in the P-OHCA group had a significantly higher chance of survival with good neurological outcome and PEA as initial rhythm was as favourable as initial VF. Therefore, in P-OHCA patients resuscitation efforts should be extended