Anticoagulation Management in a VV ECMO patient for ARDS with Severe Intra Uterine Bleed

To describe the anticoagulation management of a Viral Pneumonia patient on ECMO who was on her second trimester, control of intrauterine bleed after miscarriage and successful wean off from ECMO after 19 days.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) can be a lifesaving therapy in patients with refractory severe respiratory failure or cardiac failure. Severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) still has a high-mortality rate, but ECMO may be able to improve the outcome. Use of ECMO for respiratory failure has been increasing since 2009. Initiation of ECMO for adult ARDS should be considered when conventional therapy cannot maintain adequate oxygenation. ECMO can stabilize gas exchange and haemodynamic compromise, consequently preventing further hypoxic organ damage. ECMO is not a treatment for the underlying cause of ARDS. What added to the complication was the second trimester pregnancy of the patient and the control of intrauterine bleed after miscarriage was challenging.