Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) as initial therapy for blunt thoracic trauma with associated intracranial hemorrhage: A case report and review of the literature

Mark Bonnell, Nicholas Stephen

Abstract

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been used sporadically in trauma patients, most often for post-traumatic acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Here, we report the use of ECMO as an initial treatment modality for acute respiratory failure secondary to massive pulmonary contusions in a 17-year-old male with concomitant intracranial hemorrhage.