Cardiovascular Consequences and Considerations of Coronavirus Infection – Perspectives for the Cardiothoracic Anesthesiologist and Intensivist During the Coronavirus Crisis
The unique considerations of this important infection significantly affect the management approaches to these patients by cardiothoracic anesthesiologists and intensivists with respect to airway management, echocardiography, anesthetic care, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
ECMO Use in COVID-19: Lessons from Past Respiratory Virus Outbreaks—a Narrative Review
Here, we review the experience with the use of ECMO in the past respiratory virus outbreaks and discuss potential role for ECMO in COVID-19.
Haemoglobin Oxygen Affinity in Patients with Severe COVID‐19 Infection
We have measured Hb O2 affinity curves from severely ill COVID‐19 patients and, in comparison to age‐ and sex‐matched controls, find no evidence for a shift in O2 affinity that would support any change in clinical management.
Pharmacological Agents Targeting Thromboinflammation in COVID-19: Review and Implications for Future Research
It is our hope that the present document will encourage and stimulate future prospective studies and randomized trials to study the safety, efficacy, and optimal use of these agents for prevention or management of thrombosis in COVID-19.
Charting a Safe and Expeditious Course Back to Elective Cardiac Surgery During the COVID-19 Pandemic
What has become clear amidst the flux and uncertainty of the pandemic is that we must find a way to remain available to our patients by charting a safe and expeditious path toward resumption of elective cardiac surgery.
Mortality and Pulmonary Complications in Patients Undergoing Surgery with Perioperative SARS-CoV-2 Infection: an International Cohort Study
Postoperative pulmonary complications occur in half of patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection and are associated with high mortality. Thresholds for surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic should be higher than during normal practice, particularly in men aged 70 years and older. Consideration should be given for postponing non-urgent procedures and promoting non-operative treatment to delay or avoid the need for surgery.
Managing Teamwork in the Face of Pandemic: Evidence-based Tips
We hope the evidence-based tips we provided about teamwork under stress can be used by healthcare providers, team leaders and management to take constructive actions both during and in the early aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recognizing and Supporting Morally Injured ICU Professionals during the COVID‑19 Pandemic
A person becomes morally injured if exposed to repeated incidents of moral distress or due to a single egregious violation of morality.
Extracorporeal Oxygenation and COVID-19 Epidemic is the Membrane Fail-Safe to Cross Contamination?
We concluded that it is possible for SARS-CoV-2 to cross the membrane and aerosolize through the gas-exit port of the membrane lung. This phenomenon might be dependent on the presence of viral traces in the bloodstream and on the occurrence of fibers damage, which are both considered rare scenarios.
Fibrinolysis Shutdown Correlates to Thromboembolic Events in Severe COVID-19 Infection
Fibrinolysis shutdown, as evidenced by elevated D-Dimer and complete failure of clot lysis at 30 minutes on thromboelastography, predicts thromboembolic events and need for hemodialysis in critically ill patients with COVID-19. Further clinical trials are required to ascertain the need for early therapeutic anticoagulation or fibrinolytic therapy to address this state of fibrinolysis shutdown.
Veno-venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Respiratory Failure in COVID-19 Patients
This is 1 the first case series describing VV ECMO outcomes in COVID-19 patients. Our initial data suggest that VV ECMO can be successfully utilized in appropriately selected COVID-19 patients with advanced respiratory failure.
The COVID-19 Outbreak and its Impact on Hospitals in Italy: the Model of Cardiac Surgery
Whatever the strategy adopted, it is still unknown how this will impact the future needs of elective cardiac surgical procedures as well as of other procedures (e.g. neurosurgery) which cannot be performed with an inadequate availability of ICU beds.