Massive pulmonary hemorrhage can pose a significant therapeutic challenge. Traditional methods of airway clearance using saline lavage and direct thrombus removal via bronchoscopy have limited ability to retrieve thrombi from deep airways. We report a patient on extracorporeal life support with massive pulmonary hemorrhage resulting in extensive alveolar and airway thrombus extending well beyond the proximal airways and the novel use of perfluorodecalin lavage to facilitate airway clearance and lung recruitment.
Clinical trial registration: None.
Keywords: Airway thrombus; Extracorporeal life support; Liquid fluorocarbon; Pulmonary hemorrhage.