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Review
. 2021 Mar 11;11(1):43.
doi: 10.1186/s13613-021-00824-6.

The use of extracorporeal CO2 removal in acute respiratory failure

Raphaël Giraud  1   2   3 , Carlo Banfi  4   5   6   7 , Benjamin Assouline  8   6   7 , Amandine De Charrière  8   6   7 , Maurizio Cecconi  9   10 , Karim Bendjelid  8   6   7
Affiliations
Review

The use of extracorporeal CO2 removal in acute respiratory failure

Raphaël Giraud et al. Ann Intensive Care. .

Abstract

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation and protective mechanical ventilation of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients induce hypercapnic respiratory acidosis.

Main text: Extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal (ECCO2R) aims to eliminate blood CO2 to fight against the adverse effects of hypercapnia and related acidosis. Hypercapnia has deleterious extrapulmonary consequences, particularly for the brain. In addition, in the lung, hypercapnia leads to: lower pH, pulmonary vasoconstriction, increases in right ventricular afterload, acute cor pulmonale. Moreover, hypercapnic acidosis may further damage the lungs by increasing both nitric oxide production and inflammation and altering alveolar epithelial cells. During an exacerbation of COPD, relieving the native lungs of at least a portion of the CO2 could potentially reduce the patient's respiratory work, Instead of mechanically increasing alveolar ventilation with MV in an already hyperinflated lung to increase CO2 removal, the use of ECCO2R may allow a decrease in respiratory volume and respiratory rate, resulting in improvement of lung mechanic. Thus, the use of ECCO2R may prevent noninvasive ventilation failure and allow intubated patients to be weaned off mechanical ventilation. In ARDS patients, ECCO2R may be used to promote an ultraprotective ventilation in allowing to lower tidal volume, plateau (Pplat) and driving pressures, parameters that have identified as a major risk factors for mortality. However, although ECCO2R appears to be effective in improving gas exchange and possibly in reducing the rate of endotracheal intubation and allowing more protective ventilation, its use may have pulmonary and hemodynamic consequences and may be associated with complications.

Conclusion: In selected patients, ECCO2R may be a promising adjunctive therapeutic strategy for the management of patients with severe COPD exacerbation and for the establishment of protective or ultraprotective ventilation in patients with ARDS without prognosis-threatening hypoxemia.

Keywords: ARDS; COPD; ECCO2R; Extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal; Hypercapnia; Respiratory acidosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Pathophysiological rationale for the use of ECCO2R in COPD exacerbations
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Venovenous ECCO2R system with pump. ECCO2R: extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Schematic representation of different ECCO2R systems. ECCO2R: extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal. a Pumpless arteriovenous system. b Venovenous system. Pump and membrane are in series. c Venovenous system. Pump is integrated into the membrane. d Venovenous system. The membrane is integrated into an extrarenal purification system that has its own pump
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
a Transthoracic echocardiography subcostal view showing the J-tip of the guidewire entering the inferior vena cava. b Transesophageal echocardiography bicaval view showing the guidewire passing through from the superior vena cava into the right atrium and entering into the inferior vena cava. RA right atrium, SVC superior vena cava, IVC inferior vena cava
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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