Spontaneous breathing during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment of sickle cell disease acute chest syndrome

• Main Authors: Thibaut Belveyre, Thomas Auchet, Bruno Levy
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2019-01-01
• Series: Respiratory Medicine Case Reports
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221300711930053X

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a hereditary hemoglobinopathy resulting in sickling hemoglobin. Acute chest syndrome (ACS) is a serious complication of SCD and an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Management of ACS is complex and may necessitate mechanical ventilation and veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) therapy in the more severe cases.We present herein the case of a young female adult (19 y.o.) with SCD who developed severe respiratory failure due to ACS occurring twice within 15 months and treated by VV-ECMO. We describe the management of ACS with VV-ECMO using two different approaches, namely with and without mechanical ventilation. Keywords: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, Spontaneous breathing, Acute chest syndrome, Sickle cell disease, Pulmonary hypertension