[Cardio-respiratory assistance with the extracorporeal membrane oxygenator for massive pulmonary embolism]

A 39 year old pneumectomized patient presents a massive pulmonary embolism, dies within 3 hours and is supported inefficiently by cardiac massage with recurrent mydriasis during 2 hours. At that time, under extracorporeal cardiopulmonary bypass with a membrane oxygenator, the cardiac activity recovers immediatly due to right decompression and coronary perfusion. The patient is conscious within 5 hours. The cardiopulmonary bypass with a membrane oxygenator appears to be the best therapy when the cardiac massage fails to restitute a normal myocardial function. No embolectomy was performed. The patient died when the bypass was stopped after 48 hours. We conclude that the prolonged peripheral extracorporeal bypass followed by embolectomy is the best therapy of pulmonary embolism.