The PRESERVE score might help ICU physicians select appropriate candidates for ECMO among severe ARDS patients. Future studies should also focus on physical and psychosocial rehabilitation that could lead to improved HRQL in this population.

Under ECMO, an ultraprotective ventilation strategy minimizing plateau pressure may be required to improve outcome. When patients with severe influenza A(H1N1)-related ARDS treated with ECMO were compared with conventionally treated patients, no difference in mortality rates existed. The unmatched, severely hypoxemic, and younger ECMO-treated patients had, however, a lower mortality.

A new classification allows us to categorize all weaning situations. Every additional day without a weaning success after the first separation attempt increases the risk of dying.

No abstract

For patients with post-cardiac surgery shock requiring high-dose catecholamines, the early HVHF onset for 48 hours, followed by standard volume until resolution of shock and recovery of renal function, did not lower Day-30 mortality and did not impact other important patient-centered outcomes compared with a conservative strategy with delayed CVVHDF initiation only for patients with persistent, severe acute kidney injury. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT 01077349).

In patients with high-risk PE, those with ECMO have a more severe presentation and worse prognosis. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in patients with failed fibrinolysis and in those with no reperfusion seems to be associated with particularly unfavourable prognosis compared with ECMO performed in addition to surgical embolectomy. Our findings suggest that ECMO does not appear justified as a stand-alone treatment strategy in PE patients, but shows promise as a complement to surgical embolectomy.

No abstract

A Sta value of <0.15 m/s seems to be an accurate parameter to detect false-positive pulse pressure variation. Echocardiography should therefore be performed before fluid infusion in patients with pulse pressure variation of >12%.