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Introduction: Cardiopulmonary bypass time (CPBT) and aortic cross-clamp time (AXCT) are independently associated with postoperative morbidity and mortality. However, no universally accepted “optimal” duration exists, as these times are influenced by the complexity of cardiac surgery. ECMO is being increasingly used for cardiogenic shock in patients undergoing cardiotomy, but the impact of CPBT and AXCT on outcomes in this specific population remains unexplored. This study investigates how CPBT and AXCT influence outcomes in cardiotomy patients on ECMO support. Research Question: Do CPBT and AXCT influence mortality and complication rates in cardiotomy patients receiving ECMO support? Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review (Jan 2020–Dec 2024) across a multidisciplinary North American practice, identifying 623 patients who required ECMO. Of these, 236 (37.8%) received ECMO in the preoperative, intraoperative, or postoperative period of cardiotomy. Patients were grouped by prolonged CPBT (>150 min) vs standard (≤150 min) and prolonged AXCT (>90 min) vs standard (≤90 min). We analyzed outcomes including 30-day mortality, ECMO characteristics, and postoperative complications. Results: Among the 236 patients, the average age was 60.8 years, BMI 37.43 kg/m 2 ; 63% were male, 85% White. Prolonged CPBT and AXCT were associated with higher BMI (p=0.02, 0.03), prior cardiac surgery (p<0.001, 0.006), and combined CABG+AVR procedures (p=0.01, 0.001). Patients with prolonged durations were more likely to require postoperative ECMO (p=0.001, 0.03). Complications such as mediastinal bleeding, AKI requiring CRRT, mediastinitis, bacteremia, and pneumonia, showed significant association with increased CPBT whereas prolonged AXCT was only linked with mediastinal bleeding. CPBT and AXCT durations did not significantly affect 30-day mortality, ICU/hospital stay, ECMO duration, or ventilation duration. Independent predictors of 30-day mortality included pre-/intraoperative IABP use (OR 2.19, 95% CI 1.11–4.30, p=0.023), Impella use (OR 0.20, 95% CI 0.03–0.75, p=0.040), post-op intracranial bleeding (OR 5.46, 95% CI 1.43–23.9, p=0.016), and CRRT-requiring AKI (OR 3.24, 95% CI 1.63–6.57, p<0.001). Conclusion: Prolonged CPBT and AXCT were significantly linked to higher rates of postoperative complications such as mediastinal bleeding, CRRT requiring AKI, mediastinitis, and pneumonia along with increased need for postoperative ECMO support, without significantly affecting mortality.

Background: Procalcitonin (PCT) is recognized as an inflammatory biomarker, often elevated in COVID-19 pneumonia alongside other biomarkers. Understanding its association with severe outcomes and comparing its predictive ability with other biomarkers is crucial for clinical management. Objectives: This retrospective multicenter observational study aimed to investigate the association between PCT levels and adverse outcomes in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Additionally, it sought to compare the predictive performance of various biomarkers. Design: The study analyzed data from the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) Viral Infection and Respiratory Illness Universal Study (VIRUS) registry, comprising COVID-19 patients hospitalized across multiple Mayo Clinic sites between March 2020 and June 2022. Methods: A total of 7851 adult COVID-19 patients were included. Patients were categorized into 6 groups based on the worst WHO ordinal scale. Multivariate models were constructed using peak biomarker levels within 72 hours of admission, adjusted for confounders. Results: Elevated PCT levels were independently associated with increased odds of adverse outcomes, including ICU admission (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.32, 95%CI 1.27-1.38), IMV requirement (aOR 1.35, 95%CI: 1.28-1.42), and in-hospital mortality (aOR 1.30, 95%CI: 1.22-1.37). A 3.48-fold increase in IMV requirement and 3.55 times increase in in-hospital mortality were noted with peak PCT ⩾ 0.25 ng/ml. Similar associations were observed with other biomarkers like NLR (AUC 0.730), CRP, IL-6, LDH (AUC 0.800), and D-dimer (AUC 0.719). Models incorporating NLR, LDH, D-dimer, and PCT demonstrated the highest predictive accuracy, with a combined model exhibiting an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.826 (95%CI 0.803-0.849). Conclusions: Higher PCT levels were significantly linked to worse outcomes in COVID-19 patients, emphasizing its potential as a prognostic marker. Biomarker-based predictive models, particularly those including PCT, showed promising utility for risk assessment and clinical decision-making. Further prospective studies are warranted to validate these findings on a larger scale.

Abstract Rationale: Mechanical ventilation is frequently required in heart transplant patients to support recovery, but prolonged ventilation may increase the risk of complications and mortality. This study is done to find the impact of pre-transplant ventilation duration on early post-transplant outcomes, including mortality, ICU stay, infection, and respiratory complications. Methods: This retrospective analysis includes 52 heart transplant recipients from Mayo Clinic (2019-2023) who required pre-transplant mechanical ventilation. We analyzed ventilation duration's relationship with ICU and hospital stay, infection rates, respiratory complications, mortality, and baseline demographics. Chi-squared and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to evaluate associations between co-morbidities, ventilation duration, and outcomes. Results: The mean age at transplant was 48.9±14 years. Average ventilation duration was 12.8±14.2 days (Median: 7 days), ICU stay was 24.8± 20.9 days (Median: 15.0 days), and hospital stay was 58±40.8 days (Median: 48 days). Of the patients, 5 (9.6%) did not survive. There was no statistically significant association between mortality and ventilation duration, with a mean duration of 12.7±14.6 days (Median: 7 days) for survivors and 13.6±11.5 days (Median: 21 days) for non-survivors (p&gt;0.05). Patients with infections 23 (44.2%) or respiratory complications 17 (32.7%) had longer ventilation durations (mean 16.3±17.8 days, Median: 9 and 10 days, respectively) compared to those without complications (mean 10±10.2 days, Median: 6 and 5 days, p&gt;0.05). Infection was associated with extended ICU stays (mean 27.5±22.3 days, Median: 18 days with infection vs. 22.7±19.9 days, Median: 15 days without infection). None of the individual co-morbidities (diabetes, hypertension, stroke, chronic kidney disease) significantly impacted mortality or ventilation duration (p &gt; 0.05). Conclusions: Prolonged ventilation is associated with increased rates of infections and respiratory complications but not with mortality in this cohort. Although co-morbidities did not significantly impact ventilation duration or mortality, infection remains a critical factor related to extended ICU stay. Future research should explore preventative strategies for infections in ventilated heart transplant recipients to improve outcomes.

Abstract Rationale: Early management after heart transplantation is essential for survival and quality of life, but we lack data on how initial clinical measures might predict patient outcomes. This study investigates whether early postoperative hemodynamic and clinical parameters can predict 1-year mortality and complications. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of 550 heart transplant patients treated at the Mayo Clinic from 2019 to 2023. Demographic, hemodynamic, and clinical data, including Central Venous Pressure (CVP), Pulmonary Arterial Pressure (PAP), cardiac index, Pulmonary Artery Pulsatility Index (PaPi), blood pressure, heart rate, and Vasoactive-Inotropic Score (VIS), were collected. Key outcomes included 1-year mortality, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and hospital stay durations, and complications such as respiratory issues and Acute Kidney Injury (AKI). Patients were divided into quartiles based on VIS scores to compare clinical outcomes. Logistic regression assessed how each parameter predicted 1-year mortality. Results: The patients’ mean age was 53.3±13.1 years, with 391 (71.1%) male and an average Body Mass Index (BMI) of 27.5±4.9. The median ICU stay was 9 days (Interquartile Range [IQR]: 4-22.8), and the median hospital stay was 35 days (IQR: 17-57.8). Within one year, 28 (5.1%) patients experienced mortality and ICU readmission occurred in 52 (9.5%) patients. Higher VIS quartiles were associated with worse outcomes. Logistic regression revealed three significant predictors of 1-year mortality: higher CVP (p=0.0305) and lower Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) (p=0.0484) were linked to increased mortality risk, while each unit increase in VIS (p=0.0355) raised mortality odds by 6% (Odds Ratio [OR]: 1.06, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.004-1.113). Additionally, respiratory complications were seen in 177 (32.2%) patients, and AKI in 407 (74.0%) patients. AKI significantly predicted mortality (OR=2.50, p=0.044), while both ICU readmission (OR=2.98, p&lt;0.001) and AKI (OR=3.49, p&lt;0.001) predicted respiratory complications. Conclusions: Early postoperative hemodynamic and clinical parameters, especially higher VIS scores, are significant indicators of 1-year mortality in heart transplant patients. These findings highlight the importance of early assessment to identify high-risk patients and potentially guide post-transplant management strategies.

Objective The pattern and timing of palliative care utilisation and end-of-life characteristics in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)-supported patients remain underused. We wanted to share our centre’s experience. Methods This is an institutional review board-approved retrospective study of 45 patients who underwent ECMO at a large ECMO centre in North America between January 2013 and July 2018. Results Only 28.9% of the ECMO patients received in-hospital palliative care consultation at a median of 18 days (IQR 12–31) after hospitalisation and 10.5 days (IQR 1–28) from ECMO initiation. 1-year mortality was high, with 44% dying during hospitalisation and an additional 13% within the following year. Patients experienced prolonged hospitalisations (median hospital length of stay: 39 days, IQR 19–89) and exhibited high rates of tracheostomy (53%) and renal replacement therapy (60%). Most end-of-life cases involved the withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy during ECMO, yet only 53% had a completed living will. Conclusion Our study underscores the need for early initiation of palliative care consultation to enhance symptom management, advance care planning, caregiver support and quality of life for ECMO patients and their families.