Utilization of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in the cardiogenic refractory shock: case report and literature review.

Abstract

A 29 years old male patient, with dilated cardiomyopathy, evolved with refractory heart failure to clinical treatment. To maintain hemodynamic parameters, the use of intra-aortic balloon and there after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) were necessary to bridge the patient to cardiac transplantation. ECMO allowed stabilization, improvement from the organs dysfunctions in a manner that the patient could be submitted to transplantation in adequate hemodynamic conditions. The patient was transplanted, evolved hemodynamically stable in the postoperative. The patient was dischared after two weeks that he had left the intensive care unit.