Suspected Virus-Inducing Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Treated by Multimodal Therapy Including Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation and Immune Modulation Therapy

A 44-year-old man who had been feeling general fatigue was found in an unconscious state on the same day. He had no remarkable medical history. On arrival at the hospital, his Glasgow Coma Scale was E1V2M3; he had tachycardia and hypertension, was afebrile, and in a severe hypoxic state. His PaO₂/FiO₂ (P/F) was under 100, even with tracheal intubation with 100% oxygen. Chest X-ray and CT revealed a bilateral ground-glass appearance with consolidation. Cardiac echo initially showed hyper-dynamic wall motion. The main results of a blood analysis suggested an acute inflammatory reaction, rhabdomyolysis, and pancreatitis. The microscopic findings of sputum and a rapid test for bacterial and viral infections were all negative. As he showed deterioration of P/F, venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was started. He also showed hypotension and therefore underwent vasopressor and steroid administration. Due to concerns of pneumonia, he received meropenem and azithromycin in addition to the infusion of γ-globulin and glycyrrhizin. The results of a COVID-19 test, culture of sputum, and collagen disease test were all negative. The serum virus neutralization assay as a serological test for Coxsackievirus B4 showed a four-fold increase in titer. The multimodal therapy mentioned above resulted in the improvement of his general condition, including acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In this report, we discuss the benefits of ECMO and immune modulation therapy in the treatment of severe ARDS.

Keywords: acute respiratory distress syndrome; extracorporeal membrane oxygenation; immune modulation therapy.