Role of Plasmapheresis and Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in the Treatment of Leptospirosis Complicated with Pulmonary Hemorrhages.

Conclusions: Current evidence is insufficient to recommend the routine use of plasmapheresis or ECMO for patients presenting with pulmonary hemorrhages due to leptospirosis. ECMO may be a promising mode of treatment in acute respiratory failure in leptospirosis related pulmonary hemorrhages. These treatment modalities, however, can be applied based on the availability of resources and expertise at the discretion of the clinician in charge, considering patient related factors such as cardiovascular stability and derangement of coagulation profile. Clinical trials conducted adhering to standard procedures are urgently required to establish the efficacy of these treatment modalities. PMID: 30631369 [PubMed]
Source: Journal of Tropical Medicine - Category: Tropical Medicine Tags: J Trop Med Source Type: research