Use of extracorporeal respiratory support during pregnancy: a case report and literature review

We describe the case of a 25 year-old woman at 27 weeks of gestation who was admitted to our intensive care unit (ICU) for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by pandemic 2009 H1N1 influenza A. She presented with septic shock and refractory hypoxemia unresponsive to rescue therapies such as recruitment maneuvers, prone positioning, and nitric oxide inhalation. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for respiratory support was instituted, and the patient's clinical conditions progressively improved: she was extubated after 16 days and discharged from the ICU 3 days later. No fetal complications were observed. At 38 weeks of gestation she gave birth to a healthy baby.