Case Report

Extracorporeal Life Support for an Adult with Varicella Pneumonia

The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

^* Address correspondence to: Benjamin Komorowski, BS, CCP, HCR 33 Box 1-x, Stanardsville, VA 22973

Abstract

In June of 1992 a 32 year old male presented to the emergency room complaining of dyspnea and a headache. He had been exposed to chickenpox three days prior to his admission. His chest X-ray revealed diffuse bilateral infiltrates. Subsequently, the diagnosis of varicella pneumonia was made and he was started on oxygen and an antibiotic regime of acyclovir and erythromycin. He deteriorated over the next six hours and, in spite of maximal conventional ventilatory support, could not maintain arterial oxygen saturations greater than 80%. He was placed on veno-arterial Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS) for 69 hours. After being weaned off ECLS, the patient required mechanical ventilation for nine days and was discharged 47 days after admission.