Use of a dual lumen cannula for venovenous extra corporeal membrane oxygenation in a patient with acute respiratory distress syndrome and a previously inserted inferior vena cava filter: a case report

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is used in refractory hypoxemia in many clinical settings. Thoracic trauma patients usually develop acute respiratory distress syndrome. Due to high risk of bleeding, thrombotic complications present in this context are particularly difficult to manage and usually require insertion of an inferior vena cava filter to prevent embolism from the distal veins to the pulmonary circulation. Here, we present a case of a thoracic trauma patient with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome requiring venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation via a right internal jugular double lumen cannula due to a previously inserted inferior vena cava filter caused by distal bilateral calf muscle vein deep vein thrombosis.