Initiation of ECMO in patients with COVID-19 related ARDS does not increase blood markers of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) or IL-8, a letter to the editor

Veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-V ECMO) is increasingly used for refractory acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)1. However, ECMO is associated with immune modulation. The interaction of blood and ECMO circuit, pump, and oxygenator may pose a second hit of inflammation in addition to the underlying condition2. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are web-like chromatin-based structures coated with histones and proteases that are capable of capturing and killing pathogens and have been implicated in the pathophysiology of ARDS3 –5.
Source: Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia - Category: Anesthesiology Authors: Tags: Letter to the Editor Source Type: research