Search

  • HOME
  • Search
Clinical note
Nephrology (Genitourinary)
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation with systemic heparinization as a rescue therapy for acute life-threatening pulmonary thromboembolism complicating nephrotic syndrome
Kyusang You, So Mi Kim, Dongmin Kim, Kyoungmin Ryu, Mee Jeong Lee
Clin Exp Pediatr. 2021;64(8):430-432.   Published online November 16, 2020
Question: How would you treat acute life-threatening pulmonary thromboembolism occurring in nephrotic patients?
Finding: A 16-year-old woman with minimal change-associated nephrotic syndrome presented with cardiac arrest caused by an acute bilateral pulmonary thromboembolism. Her hemodynamics stabilized with resolution of thrombi while on venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and systemic heparinization.
Meaning: In selected cases, ECMO with systemic heparinization may rescue patients from acute life-threatening pulmonary thromboembolism even without reperfusion therapy.