title: Extracorporeal lung support in patients with spinal cord injury: Single center experience.
abstract: Trauma-related spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to a loss of motor, sensory and vegetative functions and is disproportionately associated with respiratory complications. SCI has a significant impact on respiratory muscle function and can lead to respiratory dysfunction or severe lung failure.
  
  
  
  Between 2008 and 2014, 7 patients with severe lung failure following SCI received veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) n = 5 and interventional lung assist (iLA) n = 2.
  
  
  
  The median duration of extracorporeal lung support was 8 (5.7-17.6) days. All 5 of the ECMO-supported patients were successfully weaned, and one of the two patients treated with iLA was weaned from the device. The median intensive care unit (ICU) stay was 35 (8.5-44.5) days. The mean hospital stay was 81 (8.5-120.7) days, and the average ventilation time was 817 (206-1,225) hours. Five (71.4%) of the 7 patients were discharged from the ICU and hospital.
  
  
  
  In patients with SCI, serious complications include microatelectasis, infection, ventilation-perfusion mismatching and aspiration (special case: salt-water aspiration after jumping into shallow water). In patients with SCI with post-traumatic lung failure, ECMO is a feasible and life-saving procedure. After surviving spinal shock, a long rehabilitation period with intensive follow-up in specialized centers is required.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Surgery.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lotzien
authors.affiliation: a Department of Surgery.
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Schildhauer
authors.affiliation: a Department of Surgery.
authors.forename: Mirko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aach
authors.affiliation: b Department of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery , BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil , Bochum , Germany.
authors.forename: Justus
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Strauch
authors.affiliation: a Department of Surgery.
authors.forename: Justyna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Swol
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015199:Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: Extracorporeal life support (ECLS); Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO); Major trauma; Spinal cord injury