Successful Use Of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation For Status Asthmaticus In A Woman With A Periviable Pregnancy

BACKGROUND: Status asthmaticus is a severe asthma exacerbation with persistent airway obstruction despite standard therapy. Use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) as rescue therapy in pregnancy is exceedingly rare. We describe a case of ECMO for treatment of status asthmaticus in woman with a periviable pregnancy culminating in a term delivery.CASE: The patient was a 33-year-old woman, gravida 3 para 1, admitted at 23 2/7 weeks of gestation with respiratory failure secondary to status asthmaticus. Venovenous ECMO was initiated and continued for 6 days. After hospital discharge, she had no further respiratory issues. She ultimately developed fetal growth restriction and gestational hypertension and underwent a repeat cesarean delivery at 38 weeks of gestation.CONCLUSION: Venovenous ECMO can be used successfully for status asthmaticus during a periviable pregnancy and enable delivery at term.