Determinants of survival in patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy due to severe covid-19.

BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) is associated with high mortality. Although survival on mechanical circulatory support has improved, determinants for better prognosis are still unclear. Here, we report on the outcome of our patient population with the need for mechanical circulatory support due to severe COVID-19 (sCOVID-19) induced ARDS. METHODS: All patients treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for severe ARDS due to sCOVID-19 were analysed. Patients > 18 years of age at the time of initiation of ECMO were included. Pre-existing comorbidities, complications during ECMO implantation, and ECMO runtime were reviewed. The latency to intubation, proning, tracheotomy, and ECMO implantation was analysed. Furthermore, the survival and non-survival population were compared to determine factors in favour of a better outcome. RESULTS: In total, 85 patients were treated with veno-venous membrane oxygenation (vv-ECMO) for severe ARDS in our medical centre. The patient population was predominantly male (83.5%) with a mean patient age of 54.9 years. A history of cardiovascular disease (p = .01), smoking (p < .05), need for vasopressor- (p < .05), and renal replacement therapy (p < .001) was associated with a worse prognosis. Overall survival was 50%. The survival population was significantly younger (p = .004), had a significantly higher body weight (p = .02) and body mass index (BMI) (p = .01). Furthermore, survival was significantly better when vv-ECMO was initiated within 48 h after admission (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Pre-existing cardiovascular disease, higher age, history of nicotine abuse, and development of renal failure are associated with poor outcome. Early start of vv-ECMO therapy may lead to better survival in sCOVID-19 patients, although complications during ECMO therapy are associated with a worse prognosis.

High Incidence of Epileptiform Potentials During Continuous EEG Monitoring in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients.

Objective: To analyze continuous 1- or 2-channel electroencephalograms (EEGs) of mechanically ventilated patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with regard to occurrence of epileptiform potentials. Design: Single-center retrospective analysis. Setting: Intensive care unit of Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany. Patients: Critically ill COVID-19 patients who underwent continuous routine EEG monitoring (EEG monitor: Narcotrend-Compact M) during sedation. Measurements and Main Results: Data from 15 COVID-19 patients (11 men, four women; age: 19-75 years) were evaluated. Epileptiform potentials occurred in 10 of 15 patients (66.7%). Conclusions: The results of the evaluation regarding the occurrence of epileptiform potentials show that there is an unusually high percentage of cerebral involvement in patients with severe COVID-19. EEG monitoring can be used in COVID-19 patients to detect epileptiform potentials.

Mechanical circulatory support in coronavirus disease-2019-positive patients with severe respiratory failure.

OBJECTIVES: Treatment of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has been heavily debated. Our goal was to describe our findings in patients with severe ARDS due to severe coronavirus disease 2019 (sCOVID-19) treated with venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (vv-ECMO). METHODS: We retrospectively examined all patients treated with vv-ECMO for severe ARDS due to acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. RESULTS: In total, 13 patients were treated with vv-ECMO in our medical centre. The mean patient age was 48.1 years. Most patients were obese (69%) and male (85%). All patients were mechanically ventilated before ECMO. The mean time from intubation to proning was 16.6 h; the time from start of prone therapy to vv-ECMO implantation was 155.1 h. The mean total ECMO run time was 358 h. Significant reduction of positive end-expiratory pressure (P = 0.02), peak pressure (P = 0.001) and minute volume (P = 0.03) could be achieved after implantation of vv-ECMO. All patients showed an inflammatory response. Overall mortality was 30.7%: 1 patient died of mesenteric ischaemia; 3 patients died of multiple organ failure. A worse prognosis was seen in patients with highly elevated concentrations of interleukin-6. CONCLUSIONS: The use of vv-ECMO in patients with sCOVID-19-induced ARDS is safe and associated with improved respiratory ventilation settings. The rate of immune system involvement plays a pivotal role in the development and outcome of sCOVID-19.

Reappearance of effector T cells is associated with recovery from COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Elucidating the role of T cell responses in COVID-19 is of utmost importance to understand the clearance of SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS: 30 hospitalized COVID-19 patients and 60 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HC) participated in this study. We used two comprehensive 11-colour flow cytometric panels conforming to Good Laboratory Practice and approved for clinical diagnostics. FINDINGS: Absolute numbers of lymphocyte subsets were differentially decreased in COVID-19 patients according to clinical severity. In severe disease (SD) patients, all lymphocyte subsets were reduced, whilst in mild disease (MD) NK, NKT and γδ T cells were at the level of HC. Additionally, we provide evidence of T cell activation in MD but not SD, when compared to HC. Follow up samples revealed a marked increase in effector T cells and memory subsets in convalescing but not in non-convalescing patients. INTERPRETATION: Our data suggest that activation and expansion of innate and adaptive lymphocytes play a major role in COVID-19. Additionally, recovery is associated with formation of T cell memory as suggested by the missing formation of effector and central memory T cells in SD but not in MD. Understanding T cell-responses in the context of clinical severity might serve as foundation to overcome the lack of effective anti-viral immune response in severely affected COVID-19 patients and can offer prognostic value as biomarker for disease outcome and control. FUNDING: Funded by State of Lower Saxony grant 14-76,103-184CORONA-11/20 and German Research Foundation, Excellence Strategy - EXC2155"RESIST"-Project ID39087428, and DFG-SFB900/3-Project ID158989968, grants SFB900-B3, SFB900-B8.