title: Extracorporeal decarboxylation in patients with severe traumatic brain injury and ARDS enables effective control of intracranial pressure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with concomitant impairment of oxygenation and decarboxylation represents a complex problem in patients with increased intracranial pressure (ICP). Permissive hypercapnia is not an option to obtain and maintain lung-protective ventilation in the presence of elevated ICP. Pumpless extracorporeal lung assist (pECLA) devices (iLA Membrane Ventilator; Novalung, Heilbronn, Germany) can improve decarboxylation without aggravation associated with invasive ventilation. In this pilot series, we analyzed the safety and efficacy of pECLA in patients with ARDS and elevated ICP after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records of ten patients (eight male, two female) with severe ARDS and severe TBI concurrently managed with external ventricular drainage in the neurointensive care unit (NICU) were retrospectively analyzed. The effect of pECLA on enabling lung-protective ventilation was evaluated using the difference between plateau pressure and positive end-expiratory pressure, defined as driving pressure (ΔP), during the 3 days preceding the implant of pECLA devices until 3 days afterward. The ICP threshold was set at 20 mmHg. To evaluate effects on ICP, the volume of daily cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage needed to maintain the set ICP threshold was compared pre- and postimplant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ΔP values after pECLA implantation decreased from a mean 17.1 ± 0.7 cm/H2O to 11.9±0.5 cm/H2O (p = 0.011). In spite of this improved lung-protective ventilation, carbon dioxide pressure decreased from 46.6 ± 3.9 mmHg to 39.7 ± 3.5 mmHg (p = 0.005). The volume of daily CSF drainage needed to maintain ICP at 20 mmHg decreased significantly from 141.5 ± 103.5 ml to 62.2 ± 68.1 ml (p = 0.037).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For selected patients with concomitant severe TBI and ARDS, the application of pECLA is safe and effective. pECLA devices improve decarboxylation, thus enabling lung-protective ventilation. At the same time, potentially detrimental hypercapnia that may increase ICP is avoided. Larger prospective trials are warranted to further elucidate application of pECLA devices in NICU patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Moorenstrasse 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany. christopher.munoz@med.uni-duesseldorf.de.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Munoz-Bendix
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Moorenstrasse 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany. beseoglu@med.uni-duesseldorf.de.
authors.forename: Kerim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Beseoglu
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Moorenstrasse 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany. kram@med.uni-duesseldorf.de.
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kram
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D003653:Decarboxylation / Q000502:physiology*; D005112:Extracorporeal Circulation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D015199:Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019586:Intracranial Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D007427:Intracranial Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011175:Positive-Pressure Respiration / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012122:Ventilators, Mechanical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data