"White-Out Lung" Following Veno-Venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Initiation for Acute Refractory Respiratory Failure From Obstructive Lung Disease: A Case Series.

Authors

Santhalakshmi Angappan, Joseph Brisson, Nakul S Kumar

Published in

Cureus. Volume 18. Issue 9. Pages e116514. Epub Sep 18, 2026.

Abstract

Veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) has been used as a salvage therapy for respiratory failure despite mechanical ventilation. However, evidence for its utility and associated complications remains limited. We hereby present a case report of sudden lung collapse in patients with obstructive physiologies after initiating VV-ECMO. Our case report focuses on acute lung opacification that occurred within hours of initiating VV-ECMO. Given the growing number of ECMO runs for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), intensive care teams should be aware of ventilatory changes and complications associated with the lung rest strategy while on VV-ECMO, facilitating early recognition and prompt intervention.

PMID:
42898697
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 20 Oct 2026.

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