Case Report
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Cases. Jul 6, 2024; 12(19): 4016-4021
Published online Jul 6, 2024. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v12.i19.4016
Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for the treatment of obstructive shock caused by venous air embolism: A case report
Gui-Wei Zhu, Yan-Min Li, Wen-Hui Yue, Jian-Xia Sun, Xin Zhou, Ying-Xia Xu, Hai-Bo Wang, Qing-Hai Zhang
Gui-Wei Zhu, Jian-Xia Sun, Hai-Bo Wang, Qing-Hai Zhang, Department of Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang 261000, Shandong Province, China
Yan-Min Li, Xin Zhou, Ying-Xia Xu, Office of Medical Affairs, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang 261042, Shandong Province, China
Wen-Hui Yue, Department of Hand & Foot Orthopedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang 261000, Shandong Province, China
Author contributions: Zhu GW, Li YM and Yue WH contributed to manuscript writing and editing, and data collection; Sun JX, Zhou X, Xu YX and Wang HB contributed to conceptualization and supervision; Zhang QH performed critical revision of the manuscript for all intellectual contents; All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by Construction and Application of Management Program for Prevention and Treatment of Inpatients with Venous Thromboembolism, No. WFWSJK-2022-111; and Shandong Provincial Medical and Health Science and Technology Development Program, No. 202103050856.
Informed consent statement: Informed written consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this report and any accompanying images.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest to disclose.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Qing-Hai Zhang, PhD, Doctor, Department of Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, No. 151 Guangwen Street, Kuiwen District, Weifang 261042, Shandong Province, China. zzyxzqh@outlook.com
Received: March 11, 2024
Revised: April 24, 2024
Accepted: May 9, 2024
Published online: July 6, 2024
Processing time: 110 Days and 7.9 Hours
Core Tip

Core Tip: This report demonstrates that in cases of obstructive shock due to venous air embolism, veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) can be a lifesaving intervention. It rapidly restores hemodynamic stability, providing critical support to the patient's circulatory system. The prompt recognition of the condition, the decision to utilize VA-ECMO are all crucial in ensuring a favorable outcome. In summary, this case report underscores the value of VA-ECMO as a therapeutic option in the management of obstructive shock due to venous air embolism, providing a valuable addition to the clinical knowledge and treatment strategies for this rare but potentially fatal condition.