ECMO Support in a Child with Acute Fulminant Myocarditis

An 11-yr-old boy with acute fulminant myocarditis was treated with routine medical therapy (antibiotics, inotropic and vasosactive agents, etc.) for 5 days, but exacerbated. Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) was initiated 39 h after admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). Twenty-four hrs after ECMO, urine volume and blood pressure (BP) improved significantly. After treatment with ECMO for 140 h, the patient’s ejection fraction (EF) increased to 45%, BP because normal and urine volume maintained at about 100 ml/h. So, the patient was weaned from the ECMO. The patient was discharged from the hospital on 23rd day post admission, when EF improved to 72% and with normal chest radiograph, echocardiography results and hemodynamics.