Case report of massive hemoptysis in pregnancy requiring veno‐venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Hemoptysis in pregnancy is rare and can be life-threatening. This case describes management of hemoptysis in pregnancy requiring veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO). The patient presented with massive hemoptysis in respiratory failure at 26 weeks gestation. VV-ECMO was utilized for maternal stability due to severe hypoxia from lung parenchymal damage. An extensive work-up for hemoptysis returned negative except for an elevated Bordetella pertussis IgG antibody. The patient was delivered via cesarean section with a complicated post-partum course. She and the infant were discharged in stable condition after long hospital stays. Prior publications describing VV-ECMO use in pregnancy are limited to treatment of respiratory infections such as influenza or pneumonia. This case is the first in the literature to describe VV-ECMO utilization for hemoptysis in pregnancy, specifically, and demonstrates its significant benefit in cases of respiratory failure due to hemoptysis.