Brachial Plexus Injury Associated With Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation

Abstract

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a cardiopulmonary support system. We present 2 patients of ECMO-related brachial plexus injury. Patients were selected from a registry of 154 patients treated with ECMO from January 2002 to September 2011. Five patients had unilateral arm weakness after the initiation of ECMO therapy. There was no neurological examination or electrophysiological testing data available for 3 patients. Diagnosis of brachial plexus injury was confirmed in 2 patients, one based on neurological examination and one based on electrophysiological testing. Axillary artery cannulation resulting in hematoma formation was identified as a probable risk factor for brachial plexus injury in our 2 patients.