Roundworms & ECMO ? Any Advice, Experience, or Literature?

Editor’s Note:

I got an email from a perfusion colleague regarding the impact (if any) of roundworms on the oxygenator for an ECMO run.

Please help?  Any information- please forward to the comments section of this blog post, my email, or  Amanda’s email who is running the ECMO.

Very much appreciated 🙂

Hey Frank,

Do you know any literature on the effects of Round worm infestation (ascaris lumbricoides) on a young patient (19yrs) while on ECMO. We pulled out a worm while suctioning his vent which has been at minimal peep to let the lungs rest. His bowels are very swollen.

Amanda

Discussion:

It’s in his lungs?

Yes. While suctioning his lungs last night they pulled out a big worm. Not sure how bad he has it though. He drowned two days ago in a pool and we did CPR.

He is back in SR but is third spacing to his GUT and his lungs it seems like. He is not swollen anywhere else.

I’d worry about the worms clogging up the oxygenator…

OK..  ICU doc seems to think that only the larvae is in the circulatory system. Will keep my eyes open

Yeah- Just keep an eye on your pre and post membrane pressure drop

Changed an ECMO lung out last month- pre-membrane presure was 290 mmHg, post-membrane was under 100 mmHg

Lung was clotting off= zero Q

F A

Suggestions?

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Please help?  Any information- please forward to the comments section of this blog post, my email, or  Amanda’s email who is running the ECMO.

Very much appreciated 🙂