Extracorporeal life support for status asthmaticus the breath of life thats often forgotten.docVIP

Available online /content/13/2/136 Commentary Extracorporeal life support for status asthmaticus: the breath of life that’s often forgotten Nana Ekua Coleman and Heidi J Dalton Department of Critical Care Medicine, Children’s National Medical Center, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC 20010, USA Corresponding author: Heidi J Dalton, hdalton@ Published: 28 April 2009 Critical Care 2009, 13:136 (doi:10.1186/cc7757) This article is online at /content/13/2/136 ? 2009 BioMed Central Ltd See related research by Hebbar et al., /content/13/2/R29 Abstract ECLS they had a serum pH of less than 7.0, an arterial carbon dioxide tension (PaCO2) above 120 torr, and an arterial oxygen tension above 50 torr. The percentage of patients in whom venovenous (VV) cannulation was used was higher in the Egleston group than in the ELSO group (92% versus 82%), but over time more patients underwent VV Status asthmaticus continues to be significant cause of intensive care admission, morbidity, and mortality in pediatric populations. Furthermore, despite improved outpatient management and broader use of controller medications, patients with severe status asthmaticus account for a notable proportion of these admissions. is variability in management and outcomes between There cannulation. Despite these demographic characteristics, institutions; however, early and aggressive management to avoid respiratory failure is paramount. In those patients who progress to develop severe respiratory failure, extracorporeal life support (ECLS) can be a life-saving therapy. Here, we briefly overview the use of ECLS for status asthmaticus, as reported through the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization, including the specific institutional experience at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston, and consider how earlier initiation o