Skip to main content

Craig Rackley

Associate Professor of Medicine
Medicine, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine
DUMC 102355, Durham, NC 27710
Dept of Medicine, Box 3221D, Durham, NC 27710

Selected Publications


Association of RBC Transfusion Thresholds and Outcomes in Medical Patients With Acute Respiratory Failure Supported With Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: A Single-Center Retrospective Cohort Study.

Journal Article Chest · December 2024 BACKGROUND: The hemoglobin value to trigger RBC transfusion for patients receiving venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is controversial. Previous guidelines recommended transfusing to a normal hemoglobin level, but recent studies suggest ... Full text Link to item Cite

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for COVID-19 During the Delta and Omicron Waves in North America.

Journal Article ASAIO J · October 23, 2024 Clinical outcomes for patients with severe acute respiratory failure caused by different variants of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) supported with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) are incompletely understood. Clinical characteristics, pr ... Full text Link to item Cite

A 36-Year-Old Woman With Intermittent Cyanosis.

Journal Article Chest · August 2024 A 36-year-old woman with a medical history of opioid use disorder and frequent urinary tract infections presented to the ED from her opioid use disorder clinic, where she was found to have an oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry (Spo2) of 82% on room air. S ... Full text Link to item Cite

Prevalence and Survival of Prolonged Venovenous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: An Analysis of the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization Registry.

Journal Article Crit Care Med · June 1, 2024 OBJECTIVES: To examine trends in utilization and outcomes among patients with the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) requiring prolonged venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV ECMO) support. DESIGN: Retrospective observational cohort st ... Full text Link to item Cite

Diagnosis and Epidemiology of Acute Respiratory Failure.

Journal Article Crit Care Clin · April 2024 Acute respiratory failure is a common clinical finding caused by insufficient oxygenation (hypoxemia) or ventilation (hypocapnia). Understanding the pathophysiology of acute respiratory failure can help to facilitate recognition, diagnosis, and treatment. ... Full text Link to item Cite

Extracorporeal Carbon Dioxide Removal to Avoid Invasive Ventilation During Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: VENT-AVOID Trial - A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Journal Article Am J Respir Crit Care Med · March 1, 2024 Rationale: It is unclear whether extracorporeal CO2 removal (ECCO2R) can reduce the rate of intubation or the total time on invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) in adults experiencing an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Object ... Full text Link to item Cite

Mortality in Patients with Obesity and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Receiving Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: The Multicenter ECMObesity Study.

Journal Article Am J Respir Crit Care Med · September 15, 2023 Rationale: Patients with obesity are at increased risk for developing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Some centers consider obesity a relative contraindication to receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support, despite growing imp ... Full text Link to item Cite

Propofol-Associated Hypertriglyceridemia in Adults With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

Journal Article ASAIO J · September 1, 2023 The incidence and risk factors for propofol-associated hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) in patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) have not been evaluated. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence and risk factors for propof ... Full text Link to item Cite

Ability of the respiratory ECMO survival prediction (RESP) score to predict survival for patients with COVID-19 ARDS and non-COVID-19 ARDS: a single-center retrospective study.

Journal Article J Intensive Care · September 1, 2023 The respiratory ECMO survival prediction (RESP) score is used to predict survival for patients managed with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), but its performance in patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) acute respiratory distress synd ... Full text Link to item Cite

U-Shaped Association Between Carboxyhemoglobin and Mortality in Patients With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome on Venovenous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

Journal Article Crit Care Explor · August 2023 BACKGROUND: Carbon monoxide (CO) is an endogenous signaling molecule that activates cytoprotective programs implicated in the resolution of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and survival of critical illness. Because CO levels can be measured in bl ... Full text Link to item Cite

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for COVID-19: Comparison of Outcomes to Non-COVID-19-Related Viral Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome From the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization Registry

Journal Article Critical Care Explorations · February 3, 2023 OBJECTIVES: To compare complications and mortality between patients that required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 viral pathogens. DESIGN: Retrospective obse ... Full text Cite

Baby Powder and Protein in an Unexpected Cause of Dyspnea in Pregnancy

Conference AMERICAN JOURNAL OF RESPIRATORY AND CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE · 2023 Cite

Effect of Initial Anticoagulation Targets on Bleeding and Thrombotic Complications for Patients With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Receiving Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

Journal Article J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth · September 2022 OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of anticoagulation targets and intensity on bleeding events, thrombotic events, and transfusion requirements in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) receiving venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenat ... Full text Link to item Cite