Successful Use of Veno-Venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in an Adult Patient with Sickle Cell Anemia and Severe Acute Chest Syndrome

Abstract

A 25-year-old female with sickle cell anemia presented with respiratory failure due to acute chest syndrome (ACS). Given her severely compromised cardiopulmonary status, she was started on veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO). After 20 days, the patient’s respiratory status improved and she was successfully decannulated. Veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation can be utilized for severe ACS in adult patients with sickle cell disease. Prompt initiation of this modality may improve outcomes in adult patients with sickle cell disease complicated by life threatening ACS.

Keywords:

• Acute chest syndrome (ACS)
• extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)
• sickle cell disease

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.