Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Dengue, Malaria, and Acute Chagas Disease.

ABSTRACT

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is widely used in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and myocarditis. Severe vector-mediated diseases may be complicated by ARDS or myocarditis, which are both associated with a high mortality rate. We present six cases of severe dengue, malaria, and acute Chagas disease that were treated with ECMO from September 2007 to September 2015. Patients included two pediatric and four adults (aged 12-48). Survival to decannulation was 83% and to discharge was 66%. Overall, the mean duration on ECMO was 25.4 days. We conclude that ECMO treatment can be beneficial in patients with severe dengue, malaria, and acute Chagas disease, if complicated by pulmonary or cardiac complications.