Kazufumi Okamoto

Emergency extracorporeal life support for patients with near-fatal status asthmaticus

Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) was used to treat three patients with near-fatal status asthmaticus who did not respond to aggressive medical therapies and mechanical ventilation under controlled permissive hypercapnia. ECLS was instituted in patient 1 because PaCO2 was excessively high and pH was excessively low, in patient 2 because hypoxemia and shock were not responsive to treatment, and in patient 3 because of sustained severe hypotension. ECLS supported adequate gas exchange until pulmonary function improved, diminishing the need for mechanical ventilation and preventing pulmonary complications. Pulmonary dysfunction improved markedly after only 21 to 86 hours of ECLS. Aggressive medical treatments were continued during ECLS. Our findings indicate that ECLS is a useful method for preventing death in patients with near-fatal status asthmaticus.

Extracorporeal life support for patients undergoing prolonged external cardiac massage

From November 1987 to February 1992, extracorporeal life support (ECLS) was used for four patients undergoing prolonged external cardiac massage following cardiac arrest. Their underlying diseases consisted of acute pulmonary embolism, pulmonary arterial thrombosis due to protein C deficiency, acute inferior left ventricular infarction accompanied by right ventricular infarction and thoracic contusion. After the initiation of ECLS, hemodynamic variables and metabolic acidosis improved in all of the cases. The case of pulmonary embolism and the case of acute myocardial infarction were successfully weaned from ECLS without complications. They were later discharged ambulatory from the hospital. The patient with pulmonary arterial thrombosis, who was comatose, became alert after the initiation of ECLS. However the patient finally died due to diffuse and massive pulmonary arterial thrombosis, which was probably related to protein C deficiency. The patient with thoracic contusion was also comatose before ECLS. He did not recover from the coma and died soon after the disconnection of ECLS. The latter two cases were suspected to have had irreversible organ failures not responsive to mechanical support of both circulation and respiration. We conclude that ECLS is a very useful method for patients requiring prolonged cardiac massage following cardiac arrest.

PROLONGED ISOFLURANE ANESTHESIA IN A CASE OF CATASTROPHIC ASTHMA

A 13‐year‐old female patient with life‐threatening asthma was treated with the inhalational anesthetic agent, 1% isoflurane, for 202 h (140 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) hours). The patient survived and exhibited no significant side effects attributable to the medication. The present patient report provides additional clinical information supporting the utilization of long‐term isoflurane general anesthesia in the management of refractory status asthmaticus that have not responded to aggressive medical management.

The effects of cardiopulmonary bypass on postoperative oxygen metabolism

The relationships between oxygen delivery (DO2), oxygen consumption (VO2), and the extraction rate (ER=VO2/DO2x100) in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) may differ from the normal physiologic state due to the oxygen debt acquired during CPB. Blood gas analysis and hemodynamic parameters were repeatedly measured for the determination of DO2 and VO2 in 40 patients undergoing CPB, every 8h during the first 48h postoperatively. As a control, 20 patients who had suffered acute myocardial infarction (AMI) were also studied using the same protocol. In the CPB group, a regression analysis showed that VO2 was significantly dependent on DO2, even within the physiologic range of DO2 (>500 ml/min per m2); VO2=121.4+0.0844×DO2 (r=0.254,P=0.023). Conversely, in the AMI group, no such supply-dependent consumption was observed within the same range of DO2. At an ER of 30%, which is the optimal value in general, the DO2 of the CPB group was 575 ml/min per m2 and that of the AMI group was 493 ml/min per m2. All these results suggest that patients undergoing CPB need a much higher oxygen supply to recover from the oxygen debt acquired during open heart surgery.

The determinant of severe cerebral dysfunction in patients undergoing emergency extracorporeal life support following cardiopulmonary resuscitation

We investigated the factors associated with cerebral dysfunction in patients undergoing extracorporeal life support (ECLS) following conventional advanced cardiac life support (ACLS). The subjects were 9 patients in whom ECLS was started following ACLS because of intractable cardiac arrest. We investigated whether the irreversibility of cerebral dysfunction during ECLS was related to the cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) time, arterial pH and blood gases, hemoglobin concentration (Hb), peak arterial pressure (PAP) before the start of ECLS and total doses of epinephrine and sodium bicarbonate administered during CPR. Two of the 3 patients who recovered consciousness were weaned from ECLS and survived, while all 6 patients who did not recover from coma were not weaned and died. There was no difference in the CPR time, Hb and PAP before the start of ECLS along with total doses of epinephrine and sodium bicarbonate administered during CPR between the patients who recovered consciousness and those who did not. In addition, there was no difference in arterial pH and blood gases except the arterial oxygen tension (PaO2) between the groups. The PaO2 values before the start of ECLS in the patients who remained in coma ranged from 34 to 58 mmHg, whereas those in the patients who recovered consciousness ranged from 132 to 442 mmHg. The PaO2 values before the start of ECLS in the patients who remained in coma were less than 60 mmHg, whereas those in the patients who recovered consciousness were over 60 mmHg. The present study suggests that hypoxemia during CPR may play a major role in severe cerebral dysfunction in patients undergoing ECLS and PaO2 during CPR.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation without intermittent positive pressure ventilation

The purpose of this study was to examine whether tracheal insufflation of oxygen (TRIO) could be used as a substitute for intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV) during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in dogs with orotracheal intubation. Twenty-seven anesthetized, paralyzed and intubated dogs were used. The tip of the insufflation catheter was placed 1 cm distal to the top of the endotracheal tube. The effects of TRIO at a flow rate of 10 l/min with or without a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) of 5 cmH2O during external cardiac compressions were compared with those managed under the standard CPR. During CPR, TRIO without CPAP maintained adequate gas exchange. Peak airway pressures in the TRIO groups were significantly lower than that in the standard CPR group. No significant differences were observed in arterial, pulmonary artery and diastolic right atrial pressures during CPR among the three groups. However, the coronary perfusion pressures in the TRIO group with CPAP always tended to be low during CPR. The present study suggests that TRIO without CPAP should be a promising substitute for IPPV during CPR when IPPV is not feasible.

Transtracheal O2 insufflation (TOI) as an alternative method of ventilation during cardiopulmonary resuscitation

We examined the efficiency of continuous transtracheal O2 insufflation (TOI) as a method of ventilation during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in a canine model. The tip of the insufflation catheter was placed 1 cm above the carina. The effects of TOI at flow rates of 0.2, 0.5, and 1.0 l/kg per min during and after CPR were examined in dogs with induced ventricular fibrillation. During CPR, adequate oxygenation and ventilation were maintained with TOI at flow rates of 0.5 and 1.0 l/kg per min, but not at 0.2 l/kg per min. After CPR, TOI was adequate to maintain oxygenation, but not ventilation. TOI alone did not prevent post-CPR hypercarbia in successfully resuscitated animals. Still, this study suggests that TOI might be useful as a temporary measure for emergency ventilation during CPR, especially in situations such as upper airway abnormalities, when mask ventilation or endotracheal intubation is not feasible.

Multiple myeloma associated with serum amino acid disturbance and high output cardiac failure

We experienced a plasma cell leukemia (PCL) patient complicated with high output cardiac failure (HOCF), proved as his elevated cardiac index and pulmonary artery wedge pressure and decreased systemic vascular resistance index in a hemodynamic study. We found no possible causes of HOCF. Interestingly, HOCF was improved as PCL responded to intensive chemotherapy. On the other hand, he showed consciousness disturbance, and had frequent attacks of generalized seizure. His electroencephalogram showed slow waves, and a spike and wave complex. Hyperammonemia and abnormal amino acid distribution were also found. This abnormal serum amino acid distribution, especially elevated glycine level, was different from that seen in chronic liver failure, and he had no hepatic disease. After intensive chemotherapy, the serum ammonia level and glycine level decreased. In this patient, PCL seemed to be responsible for HOCF, hyperammonemia, and abnormal amino acid distribution. We experienced two more cases of multiple myeloma (MM) with HOCF, hyperammonemia, abnormal serum amino acid distribution, and consciousness disturbance of unknown origin. Those two cases showed slow waves in the electroencephalogram. Improvement was seen in their HOCF, hyperammonemia, and abnormal amino acid levels after chemotherapy. The possibility of MM as a cause of HOCF is discussed. Am. J. Hematol. 57:77–81, 1998.

Evaluation of Mapleson systems for administration of inhaled nitric oxide

To assess the safety of nitric oxide (NO) inhalation during manual-controlled ventilation using Mapleson A, D, and F systems, we examined nitrogen dioxide (NO2) production using a chemiluminescence analyzer. The NO concentration was changed from 0 to 19 parts per million (ppm), and at each level of NO the oxygen (O2) concentration was changed from 21% to 100%. The NO2 concentration was observed to increase when either the O2 or NO concentration was increased. The maximum NO2 concentrations (mean ± standard deviation) of the Mapleson A, D, and F systems were 0.20±0.03, 0.15±0.03, and 0.17±0.02 ppm, respectively, when the concentrations of NO and O2 were 19 ppm and 100%, respectively. The NO2 concentrations of the Mapleson A system were significantly higher than those of either the Mapleson D or F system at 4, 8, and 12 ppm NO and 100% O2, and than that of the Mapleson D system at 19 ppm NO and 100% O2. From the viewpoint of NO2 production, we suggest that the Mapleson D and F systems are safer than the Mapleson A system when manual-controlled ventilation is required.

Effect of the season on the neurological outcome in children with cardiac arrest

Abstract Twenty children who were successfully resuscitated after cardiac arrest (CA) were retrospectively studied to examine the hypothesis that children with CA may have a worse neurological outcome in hot weather than in cold weather. Of 7 children with CA in the cold season (atmospheric temperature < 14oC), 4 in the warm season (14‐24oC) and 9 in the hot season (> 24oC). 5 (71%), 2 (50%), and 1 (11%), respectively, recovered consciousness (/3<0.05). Postresuscitative hyperthermia tended to be frequently observed in the group of children who suffered CA in the hot season, and it appeared to be associated with neurological damage. This preliminary study suggests that the neurological outcome of children with CA changes with the seasons, with a worse neurological outcome for CA in hot weather than in cold weather. A prospective study is required to determine whether, in a hot season or area, cooling of pediatric cardiac arrest victims during cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the scene improves the neurological outcome.