Prone position ventilation and femoro-femoral veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for COVID-19 treatment

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has resulted in significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Approximately 5% of COVID-19 patients who suffer from pneumonia develop critical respiratory failure. Here, we report the case of a healthy 52-year-old man who had respiratory failure owing to SARS-CoV-2 infection and was treated using femoro-femoral veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) and prone position ventilation (PPV). After this treatment, his blood oxygen levels, chest high-resolution computed tomography findings, and clinical parameters significantly improved. He was decannulated from VV-ECMO on day 6 and finally extubated on day 11. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of SARS-CoV-2-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome that was successfully treated with a combination of femoro-femoral VV-ECMO and PPV.