Outcome Prediction in Patients with Severe COVID-19 Requiring Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation-A Retrospective International Multicenter Study.

The role of veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy (V-V ECMO) in severe COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is still under debate and conclusive data from large cohorts are scarce. Furthermore, criteria for the selection of patients that benefit most from this highly invasive and resource-demanding therapy are yet to be defined. In this study, we assess survival in an international multicenter cohort of COVID-19 patients treated with V-V ECMO and evaluate the performance of several clinical scores to predict 30-day survival. METHODS: This is an investigator-initiated retrospective non-interventional international multicenter registry study (NCT04405973, first registered 28 May 2020). In 127 patients treated with V-V ECMO at 15 centers in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, and the United States, we calculated the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) Score, Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS II), Acute Physiology And Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) Score, Respiratory Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Survival Prediction (RESP) Score, Predicting Death for Severe ARDS on V­V ECMO (PRESERVE) Score, and 30-day survival. RESULTS: In our study cohort which enrolled 127 patients, overall 30-day survival was 54%. Median SOFA, SAPS II, APACHE II, RESP, and PRESERVE were 9, 36, 17, 1, and 4, respectively. The prognostic accuracy for all these scores (area under the receiver operating characteristic-AUROC) ranged between 0.548 and 0.605. CONCLUSIONS: The use of scores for the prediction of mortality cannot be recommended for treatment decisions in severe COVID-19 ARDS undergoing V-V ECMO; nevertheless, scoring results below or above a specific cut-off value may be considered as an additional tool in the evaluation of prognosis. Survival rates in this cohort of COVID-19 patients treated with V­V ECMO were slightly lower than those reported in non-COVID-19 ARDS patients treated with V-V ECMO.

Management of Persistent Pneumothorax With Thoracoscopy and Bleb Resection in COVID-19 Patients.

Several studies have been published describing the clinical and radiographic findings of coronavirus disease 2019-related pneumonia. Therefore, there is currently a lack of pathologic data on its effects in intubated patients. Pneumothorax may occur rarely and results from a combination of fibrotic parenchyma and prolonged high-pressure ventilation. Chest drainage represents first-line treatment. However, in cases of persistent pneumothorax, thoracoscopy and bleb resection may be feasible options to reduce air leak and improve ventilation. This report describes the cases of 2 patients with coronavirus disease 2019 who were successfully treated with thoracoscopy, bleb resection, and pleurectomy for persistent pneumothorax.

Late histological findings in symptomatic COVID-19 patients: A case report.

RATIONALE: Although there have been several studies describing clinical and radiographic features about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) infection, there is a lack of pathologic data conducted on biopsies or autopsies. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 56-year-old and a 70-year-old men with fever, cough, and respiratory fatigue were admitted to the intensive care unit and intubated for respiratory distress. DIAGNOSIS: The nasopharyngeal swab was positive for COVID-19 and the chest Computed Tomography (CT) scan showed the presence of peripheral and bilateral ground-glass opacities. INTERVENTIONS: Both patients developed pneumothoraces after intubation and was managed with chest tube. Due to persistent air leak, thoracoscopies with blebs resection and pleurectomies were performed on 23rd and 16th days from symptoms onset. OUTCOMES: The procedures were successful with no evidence of postoperative air-leak, with respiratory improvement. Pathological specimens were analyzed with evidence of diffuse alveolar septum disruption, interstitium thickness, and infiltration of inflammatory cells with diffuse endothelial dysfunction and hemorrhagic thrombosis. LESSONS: Despite well-known pulmonary damages induced by the COVID-19, the late-phase histological changes include diffused peripheral vessels endothelial hyperplasia, in toto muscular wall thickening, and intravascular hemorrhagic thrombosis.