Successful ECMO Decannulation after (103 Days) Due to COVID-19 Infection: A Case Report

Abstract

We present a case of a 41-year-old COVID-19 positive male; he was intubated for severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). He continued to have refractory hypoxemia despite positive pressure ventilation, prone positioning, and the use of neuromuscular blockade. Considering ECMO support, a multidisciplinary team evaluated the case and he was initiated on venovenous ECMO (V-V ECMO). His prolonged ECMO course was complicated with many different challenges but eventually, he showed a remarkable improvement in his lung functions. ECMO was successfully decannulated after 103 days of initiation. He was then weaned from mechanical ventilator (MV) with closure of tracheostomy and later on discharged home on low dose supplemental oxygen.