We present the cases of eight patients (mean age 75 years; EuroSCORE II 17.0 ± 22.0) who underwent post-cardiotomy venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) without heparinization due to serious bleeding. Three liver cirrhosis, two chronic hemodialysis, three redo sternotomy, and two urgent surgery cases were included. Respiratory ECMO Survival Prediction score was - 5.1 ± 4.2 (estimated survival rate: approximately 30%). Mean ECMO duration was 14 days with 9 circuit exchanges. Five patients were weaned from ECMO and three were discharged alive at 90 days (survival 37.5%). There was a case of pump-head thrombosis requiring urgent circuit exchange. All experienced bleeding complications without clinically apparent pulmonary thromboembolism. Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation scores (Pre 1.3 ± 0.8 vs. Post 3.8 ± 1.7; p < 0.05) significantly increased (N = 6). Post-cardiotomy ECMO without heparinization facilitated patient rescue at a reasonable survival rate. However, bleeding complications were still observed. More sophisticated management protocols are warranted.

Time from hindfoot peak to forefoot peak and percent change in forefoot pressure at forefoot peak and hindfoot peak were the best indicators of STS motion difficulty.

No abstract

Although many coronavirus 2019 patients have experienced persistent symptoms and a long-term decline in quality of life after discharge, the details of these persistent symptoms and the effect of early rehabilitation are still unclear. We conducted a single-center, retrospective observational study to investigate the prevalence of persistent symptoms three months after discharge from the intensive care unit by checking the medical records. All patients received an early mobilization program. Four out of 13 patients (31%) had postintensive care syndrome. No patients had muscle weakness, and 11 patients (85%) returned to their previous work. However, psychiatric disorder, such as anxiety (23%) and posttraumatic stress disorder (15%), were observed. Eleven patients claimed persistent symptoms, including fatigue and numbness in the extremities. Our results suggest that the implementation of an early rehabilitation program plays some role in preventing muscle weakness and that decreasing psychiatric disorders should be a next target of patient care in the intensive care unit.

Since vertebral kyphosis and abdominal circumference are thought to influence sarcopenia and fall risk in osteoporosis, we evaluated sarcopenia and fall risk in patients with different measurements of abdominal circumference and sagittal longitudinal axis (SVA). In this post hoc study, 227 patients aged 65 years or more who visited an outpatient osteoporosis clinic were included in the analysis. Sarcopenia was determined from lean body mass, grip strength, and walking speed by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry; SVA (median 40 mm) and abdominal circumference (median 80 cm) were compared between the four groups, each divided into two groups. Nutritional management, falls, and fall anxiety scores were also examined. The incidence of sarcopenia was significantly increased in those with abdominal circumference < 80 cm in both the SVA < 40 mm and SVA ≥ 40 mm groups (p < 0.05). Nonetheless, the fall scores of those with SVA < 40 mm were lower than those of individuals with SVA ≥ 40 mm (p < 0.01). Based on the results of this study, SVA and abdominal circumference values may predict the risk of sarcopenia and falls. More research is needed before our results can be translated into clinical practice.