Open AccessA case of near fatal asthma: The role of ECMO as rescue therapy
Author(s) -
Abdulaziz H. Alzeer,
Hadil A Al Otair,
Syed Moazzum Khurshid,
Sherif El Badrawy,
Bakir M. Bakir
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
annals of thoracic medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.639
H-Index - 33
eISSN - 1817-1737
pISSN - 1998-3557
DOI - 10.4103/1817-1737.152461
Subject(s) - medicine , extracorporeal membrane oxygenation , rescue therapy , hypoxemia , asthma , salvage therapy , intensive care medicine , anesthesia , surgery , chemotherapy
We report a case of an adolescent with near fatal asthma (NFA). He presented with severe hypoxemia and lifethreatening acidemia, who failed to respond to conventional therapy. His hospital course was complicated by barotrauma and hemodynamic instability. Early introduction of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) led to dramatic improvement in gas exchange and lung mechanics. This case illustrates the important role of ECMO as salvage therapy in NFA.