HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Chen, Y.-S. Articles by Ko, W.-J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Chen, Y.-S. Articles by Ko, W.-J.

Ann Thorac Surg 1999;68:2220-2224
© 1999 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

---

Original Articles: Cardiovascular

Rescue for acute myocarditis with shock by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

^a Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
^b Department of Anesthesiology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

Address reprint requests to Dr Ko, Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, 7 Chung-Shan S. Rd, Taipei 100, Taiwan

Background. Acute myocarditis (AM) complicated with refractory cardiogenic shock carries a very high mortality. We report our experience in treating these patients, who were rescued by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and intravenous immunoglobulin.

Methods. Over a 5-year period, 5 patients with AM were rescued with ECMO in our hospital. Femoral venoarterial ECMO was performed in 4 patients, and right atrium-left atrium-aorta ECMO in the other 1 due to ventricular dysfunction. Hemofiltration was applied to 3 patients. Marked elevated creatine kinase, its MB form, and troponin T (TnT) were found before ECMO.

Results. All the patients could be weaned off the ECMO after 140.0 ± 57.7 hours of ECMO support. One patient died of multiple organ failure 10 days later after removal of ECMO, resulting in a 20% mortality. Renal function returned to normal in all survivors. The 4 survivors were discharged uneventfully in 23.3 ± 8.3 days and resumed functional class I status. The TnT level declined to the low level within 3 days (slope -4.94 ± 1.18 ng/mL/day), and might be an indicator of good recovery of myocardium.

Conclusions. ECMO can provide an effective and simple treatment for critical AM with a satisfactory result and reduce the possibility of progressive cardiomyopathy.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				P. Leprince, A. Combes, N. Bonnet, A. Ouattara, C. E. Luyt, P. Theodore, P. Leger, and A. Pavie Circulatory support for fulminant myocarditis: consideration for implantation, weaning and explantation Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg., September 1, 2003; 24(3): 399 - 403. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y.-S. Chen, A. Chao, H.-Y. Yu, W.-J. Ko, I.-H. Wu, R. J.-C. Chen, S.-C. Huang, F.-Y. Lin, and S.-S. Wang Analysis and results of prolonged resuscitation in cardiac arrest patients rescued by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., January 15, 2003; 41(2): 197 - 203. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. A. Acker Mechanical circulatory support for patients with acute-fulminant myocarditis Ann. Thorac. Surg., March 1, 2001; 71 (2007): S73 - S76. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]