Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 25, 2026
Nasal Brushing Sampling and Processing Using Digital High Speed Ciliary Videomicroscopy – Adaptation for the COVID-19 Pandemic
Published on: November 7, 2020
Hemoadsorption cartridge and coronavirus disease 2019 infections: A case report and brief literature review
Gabriele Melegari1, Elisabetta Bertellini1, Alessandra Melegari2
1Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Modena, Modena, Italy.
Insights
Severe COVID-19 can cause a cytokine storm, leading to critical illness. Hemoadsorption therapy may help reduce inflammatory mediators in patients with severe COVID-19 and acute renal failure.
Area of Science:
- Intensive Care Medicine
- Nephrology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Severe cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are associated with a cytokine storm, characterized by elevated inflammatory mediators.
- High levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor correlate with disease severity and mortality.
- Therapeutic strategies for critically ill COVID-19 patients include hemoadsorption to remove inflammatory mediators.
Observation:
- A case of severe acute respiratory syndrome due to COVID-19 complicated by acute renal failure is presented.
- The patient required intensive care unit admission, mechanical ventilation, and renal replacement therapy.
- Hemoadsorption was utilized to mitigate the cytokine release syndrome.
Findings:
- Hemoadsorption was employed as part of the treatment regimen for a severe COVID-19 patient with acute renal failure.
- This intervention aimed to reduce the plasma levels of inflammatory cytokines contributing to the disease's pathology.
- The case highlights the application of hemoadsorption in managing critical COVID-19 complications.
Implications:
- Reducing cytokine plasma levels via hemoadsorption may offer therapeutic advantages in severe COVID-19.
- This approach could potentially mitigate organ damage and improve outcomes in critically ill patients.
- Further investigation into hemoadsorption's role in managing cytokine storm in COVID-19 is warranted.
Abstract:
The cytokine storm has been frequently reported to occur in patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Data from the literature suggest that elevated levels of inflammatory mediators, such as interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor, indicate a severe course or the fatality of the disease. Several therapeutic options have been employed to treat critically ill patients, including hemoadsorption of inflammatory mediators. We here present a case of severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by COVID-19 and acute renal failure. The patient was admitted to our intensive care unit and treated with mechanical ventilation, renal replacement therapy, and hemoadsorption to reduce the cytokine release syndrome, which plays a fundamental role in the clinical presentation of COVID-19 patients. We also discuss the potential advantages of reducing cytokine plasma levels using a hemoadsorption cartridge.
