Early initiation of awake venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in critical COVID-19 pneumonia: A case reports

INTRODUCTIONOverall, patients with Sars-cov-2 disease treated with mechanical ventilation, which is not the case in our study. This report presents our first successful experience of awake ECMO application in a critical patient with hypoxemic Respiratory Failure related to COVID-19 infection in Morocco. CASE MANAGEMENTWe have reported a 52-year-old female patient who was diagnosed with COVID-19 infection and progressed to critical cases. She was a candidate for applying awake extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in the absence of invasive mechanical ventilation, under local anesthesia alone with good progress and ventilatory weaning. CONCLUSIONThis therapeutic attitude can be beneficial for certain critical and severe cases due to COVID-19 infection. Each ECMO program should develop goals, methods, protocols, and best practices while adapting appropriately to the personnel and equipment available.