GRASSELLI , Giacomo

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between peak (EAdipeak) and area under the curve (EAdiAUC) of diaphragm electrical activity, and to evaluate the validity of their ratio (P/I index) as a measure of the imbalance between drive and sustainability of effort demand at different support levels. Materials: Prospective physiological study on...

Purpose: Patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) usually present very low respiratory system compliance (Cstrs) values (i.e., severe restrictive respiratory syndrome patients). As a consequence, they are at high risk of experiencing poor patient-ventilator interaction during...

Background: Auto-positive end-expiratory pressure (auto-PEEP) may substantially increase the inspiratory effort during assisted mechanical ventilation. Purpose of this study was to assess whether the electrical activity of the diaphragm (EAdi) signal can be reliably used to estimate auto-PEEP in patients undergoing pressure support ventilation...

Purpose: To investigate the effect of a wide range of assistance levels during neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NAVA) and pressure support ventilation (PSV) on respiratory pattern, breathing variability, and incidence of tidal volumes (VT) above 8 and 10 ml/kg in acute respiratory failure patients. Methods: Eight increasing NAVA levels...

Background: The amount of extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal may influence respiratory drive in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). The authors evaluated the effects of different levels of extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal in patients recovering from severe ARDS...

Purpose: Prone positioning (PP) improves oxygenation and outcome of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome undergoing invasive ventilation. We evaluated feasibility and efficacy of PP in awake, non-intubated, spontaneously breathing patients with hypoxemic acute respiratory failure (ARF). Material and Methods: We retrospectively...

OBJECTIVES: To calculate an index (termed Pmusc/Eadi index) relating the pressure generated by the respiratory muscles (Pmusc) to the electrical activity of the diaphragm (Eadi), during assisted mechanical ventilation and to assess if the Pmusc/Eadi index is affected by the type and level of ventilator assistance. The Pmusc/Eadi index was also...

We report a case of severe posttraumatic acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) complicated by bronchopleural fistulae (BPF). The stiff ARDS lung and huge air leaks from BPF resulted in the failure of different protective mechanical ventilation strategies to provide viable gas exchange. Lung rest, achieved by extracorporeal carbon dioxide...

Purpose: We investigated the effects of periodical high pressure breaths (SIGH) or biphasic positive pressure ventilation (BIPAP) during helmet continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in patients with acute hypoxic respiratory failure. Methods: We used a recently developed electromechanical expiratory valve (TwinPAP®, StarMed, Mirandola,...

We describe the case of a 25 year-old woman at 27 weeks of gestation who was admitted to our intensive care unit (ICU) for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by pandemic 2009 H1N1 influenza A. She presented with septic shock and refractory hypoxemia unresponsive to rescue therapies such as recruitment maneuvers, prone...

Purpose: Vascular access and cannulation are crucial issues to maximize the efficiency of extracorporeal circulation techniques and to preserve patients' safety. Techniques of cannulation have changed over the years, from surgical cutdown to percutaneous approaches, which are now considered standard practice. We describe an original modified...

Intraoperative allergic reactions are rare but serious events associated with increased morbidity and mortality. We report the salvage of intraoperative anaphylaxis leading to extreme hypercapnic respiratory failure by veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). A 38-year-old woman undergoing thyroidectomy developed intractable...

Purpose To develop a mathematical model of oxygenation during venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (vv-ECMO). Material and methods Total oxygen consumption, cardiac output, blood flow, recirculation, intrapulmonary shunt, hemoglobin, natural lung, and membrane lung oxygen fractions were chosen as inputs. Content, partial pressure, and...

Objective: To study incidence, type, etiology, risk factors, and impact on outcome of nosocomial infections during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Design: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data. Setting: Italian tertiary referral center medical-surgical ICU. Patients: One hundred five consecutive patients who were treated...

Gas exchange capabilities of polymethylpentene membrane lungs (MLs) worsen over time. ML deterioration is related to protein deposit and clot formation. Condensation and trapping of water vapor inside ML hollow fibers might affect ML performances as well. Increasing sweep gas flow (GF) could remove such fluid. The purpose of this study was to...