title: Respiratory Failure in a Pediatric Patient with Biventricular Assist Devices: Identification and Novel Management of Inflow Cannula Obstruction.
abstract: Respiratory failure after ventricular assist device (VAD) placement may threaten transplant candidacy and can be lethal. Refractory respiratory failure may require addition of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support. Providing ECMO in a VAD-supported patient is uniquely challenging, particularly in the case of LVAD inflow cannula obstruction in a pediatric patient who may be more prone to cannula obstruction. Surgical intervention to alleviate obstruction may not be feasible. Here, we present a novel nonsurgical strategy for conversion to ECMO in a VAD-supported pediatric patient with respiratory failure because of LVAD inflow cannula obstruction.
authors.affiliation: From the *Section of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado; †Division of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Colorado Heart Institute and University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado; and ‡Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Colorado Denver and The Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado.
authors.forename: Timothy R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Stidham
authors.forename: Scott R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Auerbach
authors.forename: Max B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Shannon M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Buckvold
mesh_terms: D057785:Catheters; D004868:Equipment Failure; D015199:Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation / Q000379:methods*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000601:surgery; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*