Journal of Intensive Care 2020
Leptospirosis as an important differential of pulmonary haemorrhage on the intensive care unit: a case managed with VV-ECMO.
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Abstracto
Case presentation
A 20-year-old previously fit and well trout farm worker presented with a 3-day history of malaise, fevers, diarrhoea, vomiting and jaundice. He developed haemoptysis, severe headaches, neck stiffness and photophobia on the day of emergency admission. He was anaemic and thrombocytopenic. Anuric acute kidney injury (urea 32, creat 507) required immediate haemofiltration. In view of progressive respiratory failure with four-quadrant lung infiltrates on imaging, he was given broad spectrum antibiotics and pulsed methylprednisolone empirically, in case of a vasculitic pulmonary-renal presentation. He was intubated within 48 h of admission. Despite attempted protective ventilatory management, he remained hypoxaemic and developed pneumomediastinum. He was retrieved to a specialist cardiorespiratory intensive care unit on femoro-femoral mobile VV-ECMO. Three days from admission, results showed positive Leptospira IgM and real-time PCR. Serial bronchoscopies showed old and fresh clots, but not the classical progressive late red tinge of the returned lavage fluid. After eight days, VV-ECMO was weaned, he was extubated three days later, and made a full recovery. At 9 months follow-up, he was clinically better, with resolution of the CT scan findings and near normal lung function, albeit with low normal gas transfer.