Sequential Extracorporeal Therapy Collaborative Device and Timely Support for Endotoxic, Septic, and Cardiac Shock: A Case Report

We report a 49-year-old man, without prior medical history, consulted in the emergency department with a 5 day history of cough, fever, and dysuria. He was admitted to the intensive care unit due to septic shock. Critical care management was initiated, including mechanical ventilation and vasopressors. Endotoxic shock was suspected (endotoxin activity assay [EAA] 0.75), and 2 treatments with Polymyxin B hemoperfusion (Toraymyxin (R), Toray Medical Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) were performed in 48 h, alternate with high-volume hemofiltration sessions. Initial blood cultures were positive forNeisseria meningitidis(serogroup B), and a lumbar puncture was deferred because of the coagulopathy and a bleeding risk. The circulatory efficiency significantly improved after the second procedure of hemoperfusion, and the treatment resulted in a marked decrease in the serum endotoxin level (EAA <0.4). However, after 48 h, tachycardia did not improve, left ventricular ejection fraction was 20%, and circulatory insufficiency progressed. Therefore, considering the involvement of septic cardiomyopathy and cardiogenic shock, veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) was initiated for circulation assistance on day 3 from admission. Continuous cytokine hemoadsorption (Cytosorb (R), Cytosorbent Corporation, Monmouth Junction, NJ, USA) was incorporated into a VA-ECMO circuit for 48 h without a considerable improvement. For this reason, a 72-h continuous veno-venous hemodialysis session was started in which a high cutoff filter was used. Tachycardia and myocardial dysfunction improved by day 6, and VA-ECMO was withdrawn on the tenth day. Subsequently, nutrition management and rehabilitation were performed, and the patient was transferred to the department of respiratory medicine on day 80, he was discharged from our hospital on day 113. Sequential extracorporeal therapy may be beneficial when concomitant with circulatory assistance in uncontrollable cases of septic shock using catecholamines and blockers.