The Effect of Lower Tidal Volume Ventilation Facilitated by Extracorporeal Carbon Dioxide Removal Compared With Conventional Lung Protective Ventilation on Cardiac Function

OBJECTIVES:. Lower tidal volume ventilation (targeting 3 mL/kg predicted body weight, PBW) facilitated by extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal (ECCO2R) has been investigated as a potential therapy for acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF) in the pRotective vEntilation with veno-venouS lung assisT in respiratory failure (REST) trial. We investigated the effect of this strategy on cardiac function, and in particular the right ventricle. DESIGN:. Substudy of the REST trial. SETTING:. Nine U.K. ICUs. PATIENTS:. Patients with AHRF (Pao2/Fio2 < 150 mm Hg [20 kPa]). INTERVENTION:. Transthoracic echocardiography and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) measurements were collected at baseline and postrandomization in patients randomized to ECCO2R or usual care. MEASUREMENTS:. The primary outcome measures were a difference in tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) on postrandomization echocardiogram and difference in NT-proBNP postrandomization. RESULTS:. There were 21 patients included in the echocardiography cohort (ECCO2R, n = 13; usual care, n = 8). Patient characteristics were similar in both groups at baseline. Median (interquartile range) tidal volumes were lower in the ECCO2R group compared with the usual care group postrandomization; 3.6 (3.1–4.2) mL/kg PBW versus 5.2 (4.9–5.7) mL/kg PBW, respectively (p = 0.01). There was no difference in the primary outcome measure of mean (sd) TAPSE in the ECCO2R and usual care groups postrandomization; 21.3 (5.4) mm versus 20.1 (3.2) mm, respectively (p = 0.60). There were 75 patients included in the NT-proBNP cohort (ECCO2R, n = 36; usual care, n = 39). Patient characteristics were similar in both groups at baseline. Median (interquartile range [IQR]) tidal volumes were lower in the ECCO2R group than the usual care group postrandomization; 3.8 (3.3–4.2) mL/kg PBW versus 6.7 (5.8–8.1) mL/kg PBW, respectively (p < 0.0001). There was no difference in median (IQR) NT-proBNP postrandomization; 1121 (241–5370) pg/mL versus 1393 (723–4332) pg/mL in the ECCO2R and usual care groups, respectively (p = 0.30). CONCLUSIONS:. In patients with AHRF, a reduction in tidal volume facilitated by ECCO2R, did not modify cardiac function.