Treatment of Sepsis and ARDS With Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation and Interventional Lung Assist Membrane Ventilator in a Patient With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

We report an 18-year-old ice skater with acute lymphoblast leukemia. She developed Staphylococcus epidermidis bacteremia, severe sepsis, septic shock, and ARDS following chemotherapy-induced severe bone marrow failure. She was successfully treated with extraordinary life support measures, which included extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, double lumen lung ventilation for management of hemoptysis, and lung assist membrane ventilation. After 57 days of ICU treatment and a year of rehabilitation, the patient has fully regained her functional status, is now finishing high school, and is ice skating again. Key words: extracorporeal membrane oxygenation; interventional lung assist membrane ventilator; acute lymphoblast leukemia. [Respir Care 2012;57(7):1178–1181. © 2012 Daedalus Enterprises]