An update on interventional lung assist devices and their role in acute respiratory distress syndrome.
In recent years, pumpless arteriovenous systems for extracorporeal gas exchange have become a new therapeutic option for the treatment of patients suffering from acute respiratory failure. Experiences with the pumpless extracorporeal membrane lung in animal experiments and in patients with adult respiratory distress syndrome published in the current literature are reviewed. In addition this article presents a case of varicella pneumonia with persistent hypoxemia and hypercapnia under mechanical ventilation that showed a significant improvement with treatment with a pumpless extracorporeal lung assist using an arteriovenous shunt for eight days. The patient made a complete recovery. This is the first report of a patient with a life-threatening varicella pneumonia successfully treated with pumpless extracorporeal lung assist device. This review provides an update on interventional lung assist devices and a critical discussion of their advantages and limitations.
von Mach
Marc-Alexander
MA
II. Medical Department, University Hospitals, Langenbeckstr. 1, Mainz 55131, Germany. marcm@giftinfo.uni-mainz.de
Kaes
Joachim
J
Omogbehin
Babatunde
B
Sagoschen
Ingo
I
Wiechelt
Jascha
J
Kaiser
Kristina
K
Sauer
Oliver
O
Weilemann
Ludwig Sacha
LS
D000328:Adult; D004867:Equipment Design; D015199:Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000628:therapy*