A Case of Pumpless Interventional Lung Assist Application in a Tuberculosis Destroyed Lung Patient with Severe Hypercapnic Respiratory Failure

Abstract

Pumpless extracorporeal interventional lung assist (iLA) is a rescue therapy allowing effective carbon dioxide re- movals and lung protective ventilator settings. Herein, we report the use of a pumpless extracorporeal iLA in a tu- berculosis destroyed lung (TDL) patient with severe hypercapnic respiratory failures. A 35-year-old male patient with TDL was intubated due to CO2 retention and altered mentality. After 11 days, Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP) had developed. Despite the maximal mechanical ventilator support, his severe respiratory acidosis was not corrected. We applied the iLA for the management of refractory hypercapnia with respiratory acidosis. This case suggests that the iLA is an effective rescue therapy for TDL patients with ventilator refractory hypercapnia.