Accessing unproven interventions in the COVID-19 pandemic: discussion on the ethics of 'compassionate therapies' in times of catastrophic pandemics.

Since the onset of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, an array of off-label interventions has been used to treat patients, either provided as compassionate care or tested in clinical trials. There is a challenge in determining the justification for conducting randomised controlled trials over providing compassionate use in an emergency setting. A rapid and more accurate evaluation tool is needed to assess the effect of these treatments. Given the similarity to the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) pandemic in Africa in 2014, we suggest using a tool designed by the WHO committee in the aftermath of the EVD pandemic: Monitored Emergency Use of Unregistered and Investigational Interventions (MEURI). Considering the uncertainty around SARS-CoV-2, we propose using an improved MEURI including the Plan-Do-Study-Act tool. This combined tool may facilitate dynamic monitoring, analysing, re-evaluating and re-authorising emergency use of unproven treatments and repeat it in cycles. It will enable adjustment and application of outcomes to clinical practice according to changing circumstances and increase the production of valuable data to promote the best standard of care and high-quality research-even during a pandemic.

Severe burns in a patient after out-of-hospital CPR.

We present a case of a patient after prolonged cardio-pulmonary resuscitation on hot asphalt, who suffered from first and second degree burns which worsened during hospitalization. The patient was treated with therapeutic hypothermia. Possible effect of therapeutic hypothermia on the course of burns is discussed.

Impact of adding a filter for protection from toxic inhalational compounds to the ventilation circuit of mechanically ventilated patients.

BACKGROUND: Standard-issue Chemical-Biological-Radio-Nuclear (CBRN) gasmasks, as used for protection from non-conventional warfare agents or toxic industrial compounds, cannot be used by ventilated patients, leaving them exposed to toxic agents inhaled via their ventilators. This study was conducted to determine the safety of a CBRN filter added to the patient circuit of a ventilator, as a method for affording inhalational protection to ventilated patients. METHODS: A Landrace pig was ventilated sequentially with 3 types of ventilators according to 17 different ventilation protocols, with and without a CBRN filters added in-line to the ventilation tubing for each protocol. For each protocol, physiological parameters, including oxygen saturation, inspired CO2, end tidal CO2, inspired oxygen, respiratory rate, and pulse rate, as well as airflow parameters including peak inspiratory pressure, positive end expiratory pressure and tidal volume were measured. The impact on the ventilator's trigger/sensitivity function was evaluated in vitro using a Michigan test lung. RESULTS: On average, the addition of the CBRN filter resulted in a 16 ml (5 %) decrease (range 0-50 ml) in the tidal volume, a 1.7 cm H2O (10 %) decrease (range 1-3 cm H2O) in the peak inspiratory pressure, and a 0.1 cm H2O (3 %) decrease (range 0-1 cm H2O) in the positive end expiratory pressure delivered to the animal. Some ventilators compensated for these airflow changes while others did not, depending on the design of the ventilator's pressure/flow sensing mechanism. Significant rebreathing occurred when the filter was positioned directly on the animal's endotracheal tube, but not when positioned on the air outflow port of the ventilator. In vitro measurements showed that the addition of the CBRN filter added a mean pressure gradient of 0.45 cm H2O to the trigger/sensitivity function of the system. CONCLUSIONS: In-line addition of a CBRN filter to ventilation tubing is a feasible strategy for affording inhalational protection to ventilated patients.