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Published on: January 17, 2011
Successful Treatment of Critically Severe Empyema With Bronchopleural Fistula via ECMO: A Case Report
Shunxin Xin1, Zhongliang He1, Weihua Xu2
1Department of Thoracic Surgery Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province Hangzhou China.
Abstract:
Empyema is one of the most dangerous complications in thoracic surgery. It can easily progress to severe empyema with life-threatening conditions that are extremely challenging to treat. We successfully treated a patient with critically severe empyema via extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), and the patient eventually recovered and was discharged. A 64-year-old male developed empyema 5 years ago. The thoracic infection led to a breakdown of the left chest wall. During hospitalisation, the patient's condition gradually deteriorated. We promptly initiated ECMO support and performed multiple debridement surgeries, fistula closure, targeted anti-infection treatment, and nutritional support. Ultimately, the patient's condition improved, as he eventually recovered and was discharged.
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