Successful recovery of a critically ill pregnant covid-19 patient treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in Sanglah General Hospital, Bali, Indonesia: A case report

Abstract

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been shown to be effective as a form of a life-sustaining modality in previous outbreaks such as Middle East respiratory syndromes covariant and H1N1. A 28-year-old woman was referred from a military hospital after experiencing prolonged dyspnea and a loss of consciousness. At the time of admission, the patient was pregnant with a gestational age of 24–25 weeks and has a history of hypertension and a caesarian section. Respiratory failure forced a caesarean section, which was followed by an intensive care unit admission. Five days after admission, the patient was placed on ECMO with a heparin drip. The patient suffered coinfections identified in the patient’s sputum, blood, and urine samples. Significant clinical improvement observed after the second ECMO weaning and was followed by successful discharge. The successful treatment of a critically ill COVID-19 pregnant patient with ECMO as a life-sustaining critical-care modality is uncommon. However, potential coinfections must be considered, and physicians must prepare for waves of clinical worsening and improvement.