Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patient supported with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for 403 days while waiting for a lung transplant: A case report

We describe a patient with acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis supported by ECMO for 403 days while waiting for a LTx. In this case, we kept the patient awake, and he was communicating frequently with his family. We changed the membrane oxygenator 23 times and the cannula 10 times without complication. However, we terminated the treatment on day 403 of ECMO because there was no access site for cannula insertion due to blockage by a venous thrombotic occlusion, making it impossible to continue this bridge to lung transplantation. It has become possible to maintain patients on ECMO for extended periods of time, but it is difficult to manage ECMO for more than one year without the development of a more durable lung support system.
Source: Respiratory Medicine Case Reports - Category: Respiratory Medicine Source Type: research