tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
World J Clin Cases
. 2021 Mar 16;9(8):1953-1967.
doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i8.1953.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for coronavirus disease 2019-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome: Report of two cases and review of the literature
Jun-Lin Wen[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Qi-Zhe Sun[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Zhou Cheng[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Xiao-Zu Liao[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Li-Qiang Wang[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Yong Yuan[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Jian-Wei Li[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Liu-Sheng Hou[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Wen-Jun Gao[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Wei-Jia Wang[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Wei-Yan Soh[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Bin-Fei Li[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Da-Qing Ma[SUP] 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2, is a worldwide pandemic. Some COVID-19 patients develop severe acute respiratory distress syndrome and progress to respiratory failure. In such cases, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment is a necessary life-saving procedure.
Case summary: Two special COVID-19 cases-one full-term pregnant woman and one elderly (72-year-old) man-were treated by veno-venous (VV)-ECMO in the Second People's Hospital of Zhongshan, Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province, China. Both patients had developed refractory hypoxemia shortly after hospital admission, despite conventional support, and were therefore managed by VV-ECMO. Although both experienced multiple ECMO-related complications on top of the COVID-19 disease, their conditions improved gradually. Both patients were weaned successfully from the ECMO therapy. At the time of writing of this report, the woman has recovered completely and been discharged from hospital to home; the man remains on mechanical ventilation, due to respiratory muscle weakness and suspected lung fibrosis. As ECMO itself is associated with various complications, it is very important to understand and treat these complications to achieve optimal outcome.
Conclusion: VV-ECMO can provide sufficient gas exchange for COVID-19 patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. However, it is crucial to understand and treat ECMO-related complications.
Keywords: Acute respiratory distress syndrome; COVID-19; Case report; Complications; Coronavirus; Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation; SARS-CoV-2.
. 2021 Mar 16;9(8):1953-1967.
doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i8.1953.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for coronavirus disease 2019-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome: Report of two cases and review of the literature
Jun-Lin Wen[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Qi-Zhe Sun[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Zhou Cheng[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Xiao-Zu Liao[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Li-Qiang Wang[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Yong Yuan[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Jian-Wei Li[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Liu-Sheng Hou[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Wen-Jun Gao[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Wei-Jia Wang[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Wei-Yan Soh[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Bin-Fei Li[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Da-Qing Ma[SUP] 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 33748247
- PMCID: PMC7953388
- DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i8.1953
Abstract
Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2, is a worldwide pandemic. Some COVID-19 patients develop severe acute respiratory distress syndrome and progress to respiratory failure. In such cases, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment is a necessary life-saving procedure.
Case summary: Two special COVID-19 cases-one full-term pregnant woman and one elderly (72-year-old) man-were treated by veno-venous (VV)-ECMO in the Second People's Hospital of Zhongshan, Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province, China. Both patients had developed refractory hypoxemia shortly after hospital admission, despite conventional support, and were therefore managed by VV-ECMO. Although both experienced multiple ECMO-related complications on top of the COVID-19 disease, their conditions improved gradually. Both patients were weaned successfully from the ECMO therapy. At the time of writing of this report, the woman has recovered completely and been discharged from hospital to home; the man remains on mechanical ventilation, due to respiratory muscle weakness and suspected lung fibrosis. As ECMO itself is associated with various complications, it is very important to understand and treat these complications to achieve optimal outcome.
Conclusion: VV-ECMO can provide sufficient gas exchange for COVID-19 patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. However, it is crucial to understand and treat ECMO-related complications.
Keywords: Acute respiratory distress syndrome; COVID-19; Case report; Complications; Coronavirus; Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation; SARS-CoV-2.