Extracorporeal Life Support Use in Mixed Distributive-Obstructive Shock Following an Electrical Injury: A Case Report

Electrical burn injuries can be catastrophic, threatening severe disability or mortality. We present a patient who suffered from electrical shock, requiring bilateral above-knee amputations, right trans-radial amputation, renal replacement therapy, and veno-arterial extracorporeal life support (VA ECLS) therapy. While there exist reports of cases that have demonstrated the potential use of ECLS in burn patients with cardiogenic shock or acute respiratory distress syndrome, this is a unique case of VA ECLS use for an electrical injury patient who developed mixed distributive-obstructive shock secondary to pulmonary embolism and sepsis. Given the wide variety of morbidities that can result from electrical burns, VA ECLS is a promising tool for those who require cardiopulmonary support refractory to traditional measures.