Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support for a multitrauma patient with ARDS: A case report and literature review

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) provides rescue treatment for patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) when conventional management fails. The present study reported ECMO as a life-saving treatment for ARDS due to bilateral pulmonary contusion in a 24-year-old male multiple trauma patient. ECMO therapy lasted 7 days for the patient and was successively stopped without any complications. ECMO modality should be chosen according to the respiratory and circulatory condition of each individual. Venoarteria-ECMO may be chosen for multiple trauma patients with ARDS, and respiratory and circulatory failure. Morphological changes are observed with ARDS progression. The injured lungs may recover completely with effective ECMO therapy.