[Decubitus prone position in patient with extracorporeal CO2 removal device Novalung(®)]

To describe the course of a patient with the extracorporeal CO2 removal device and discover the effect of Novalung on ventilation, considering the patient's prone position and its influence on the device's blood flow. To develop a protocol of managing and specific care of a patient with Novalung.

A case report of a patient with Novalung in a tertiary hospital ICU unit is reported. Parameters considered are hemodynamic, respiratory, pharmacological, analytical, neuromonitoring, managing of the Novalung and length of decubitus prone cycles. Anova Test, Student's T test, Wilcoxon-Mann Whitney and Spearman correlation. Significance p <0.05.

A 46-year old women with nosocomial pneumonia and acute respiratory failure with indication of Novalung to decrease hypercapnia and optimize ventilatory management of refractory hypoxemia. ICU Stay 26 days, MBP 82 ± 9 mmHg, HR 110 ± 6l pm during the admission, monitoring PICCO 5 days CI 3.2 ± 0.8 l/min/m2, ELWI 33 ± 4 ml, continuous hemofiltration 13.2 days with a median removal 50 cc/h. Norepinephrine dose 0.68 ± 0.79 μ/kg/min for 15 days. Respiratory parameters during the admission: PO2 59 ± 13 mmHg, PCO2 68 ± 35 mmHg, SatO2 85 ± 12%, PO2/FIO2 69 ± 35, tidal volume 389 ± 141 cc. Novalung® 13 days, heparin dose 181.42 ± 145 mIU/Kg/min, Cephalin time 57.56 ± 16.41 sec, O2 flow 7 ± 3 l/min, median blood flow 1030 cc/h, interquartile range 1447-612 cc/h. Prone cycles 4, duration 53 ± 27 hours. With Novalung® PCO2 decreased regardless of position 66 ± 21:56 ± 9, p=0.005. Tidal volume 512 ± 67:267 ± 72, p=0.0001. Blood flow on supine-prone position 1053 ± 82:113 ± 112, p=0.001. There was no link between blood flow and PCO2 (p=0.2) and between O2 and PO2 flow (p=0.05). Specific care: pedal and tibial pulse monitoring, keep circuit safe to prevent and detect signs of bleeding, femoral arterial and venous catheter care, coagulation monitoring.

During the use of Novalung protective, ventilation, low tidal volumes, decreased pressure plateau, PEEP and hypercapnia were achieved. Blood flow decreased in prone position, but the PCO2 did not increase. The device did not coagulate.