Right Ventricular Perforation Leading to Sudden Death Due to Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Canula Dislodgement

Freny Sebastian; Arshan A Khan; Dilshan Dhillon; Amir Kaki

doi:10.7759/cureus.39177

Right Ventricular Perforation Leading to Sudden Death Due to Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Canula Dislodgement

Cureus. 2023 May 18;15(5):e39177. doi: 10.7759/cureus.39177. eCollection 2023 May.

Authors

Freny Sebastian¹, Arshan A Khan¹, Dilshan Dhillon², Amir Kaki²

Affiliations

¹ Internal Medicine, Ascension St. John Hospital, Detroit, USA.
² Cardiology, Ascension St. John Hospital, Detroit, USA.

Abstract

ECMO has been playing an increasingly important role in the management of coronavirus disease (COVID-19)-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, despite its potential benefits, high mortality rates are still being reported worldwide. Herein, we report the case of a 32-year-old male who presented with worsening shortness of breath secondary to COVID-19. Unfortunately, he experienced a sentinel event when the cannula became dislodged due to coughing, which led to a right ventricular perforation and sudden pulseless electrical activity (PEA) cardiac arrest.

Keywords: acute respiratory distress syndrome; complication; covid-19; extracorporeal membrane oxygenation; leading cardiac arrest; ventricular perforation.

Publication types

Case Reports