We screened studies for relevance that enrolled patients awaiting lung transplant who were admitted to ICU to receive ECMO support as a bridging procedure, including veno-venous approach and veno-arterial support.
Moreover, the aim of extracorporeal oxygenation (that is, to provide adequate oxygen supply to vital organs such as the brain and the heart) cannot be guaranteed through veno-arterial support if the input of oxygenated blood is performed distal to the great vessels; that is, through the femoral artery [ 16].
A similarly high percentage of v-a cannulation in ARDS patients as in our study was reported by Hemmila and colleagues [ 13] who explained it as "need for systemic arterial perfusion support in addition to respiratory support".
Autopsy results of patients on veno-arterial ECMO support after cardiac surgery showed VT in 32%% of cases with a duration-dependent increase [13].
Our data are in line with the work of Rastan et al. [13] who analyzed autopsy results of patients undergoing veno-arterial ECMO support after cardiac surgery.
To be included in the study, patients had to meet the following criteria: (1) age >18 years; (2) initiation of veno-arterial ECMO support for <24 h; (3) EEG recordings performed on the first day following ECMO cannulation.
The current study demonstrates for the first time a strong inverse association between serum butyrylcholinesterase levels and long-term mortality as well as short-term mortality in patients undergoing veno-arterial ECMO support following cardiovascular surgery.
Furthermore, the recent demonstration of a double activity (in the blood stream and within arterial intima) supports CRP as both a predictor of cardiovascular risk and a possible therapeutic target for cardiovascular disease prevention (Koenig 2005).
In a recent paper Metha and co-authors [ 34], in a cohort of elderly men in the Boston area, found that short-term changes in air pollution were associated with augmentation index and augmentation pressure, correlates of arterial stiffness, supporting the hypothesis that exposure to air pollution may affect vascular function.
Stent implantation is a non-surgical method to treat the coronary artery disease that can support arterial walls and reduce the risk of heart attack.
