Inferior vena cava thrombosis in patients undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: a case series and literature review.

Background: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is mainly used for support of patients with cardiopulmonary collapse. The increasing use of ECMO has shown promising outcomes; however, it still carries the risk of significant complications. Inferior vena cava (IVC) thrombosis is an underestimated complication.

Methods: We described a series of 5 ECMO patients diagnosed with IVC thrombosis in our institution. An electronic literature search of the PubMed, Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases. A total of 12 cases were identified.

Results: The occurrence of IVC thrombosis in ECMO patients is not uncommon. In our case series, elevated CRP and PCT levels and activated partial thromboplastin times (aPTT) of less than 50 s during ECMO operation were observed. In the literature review, a higher proportion of veno-arterial (VA) ECMO application (67%; 8/12) was presented in patients with IVC thrombosis. Eight patients (73%; 8/11) were monitored for anticoagulation using either aPTT or a combination of aPTT and ACT, with all aPTT measurements achieving the target range for anticoagulation. The mainstay of treatment for IVC thrombosis was anticoagulation alone (75%; 9/12). After the treatment, IVC thrombosis disappeared in the majority of patients (75%; 9/12) and there was no thrombosis-related mortality.

Conclusion: Factors such as elevated CRP and PCT levels, low aPTT levels, and the use of VA ECMO may contribute to the development of ECMO-related IVC thrombosis. Monitoring of anticoagulation with aPTT alone or in combination with ACT during ECMO may have inherent limitations. Anticoagulation alone may be an effective treatment for IVC thrombosis.