Continuous veno-venous hemofiltration for treatment of enterovirus 71-induced fulminant cardiopulmonary failure: a case report

INTRODUCTION: Fulminant cardiopulmonary failure is a severe complication of hand, foot and mouth diseases due to enterovirus 71 infection, with a high mortality rate. The treatment is mainly supportive with aggressive cardiopulmonary resuscitation. We report the use of continuous veno-venous hemofiltration in a patient with pulmonary edema and shock due to enterovirus 71 infection. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the use of continuous veno-venous hemofiltration to successfully treat a patient with fulminant cardiopulmonary failure due to enterovirus 71 infection. CASE PRESENTATION: A 36-month-old Asian girl presented to our hospital with pulmonary edema, refractory hypotension and severe cardiac dysfunction due to enterovirus 71 infection. In addition to the standard management and care, we performed continuous veno-venous hemofiltration to overcome refractory shock and our patient eventually made a full recovery. At a three-month follow-up, a full assessment revealed no neurological sequelae. CONCLUSIONS: In the management of patients with enterovirus 71-related fulminant cardiopulmonary failure, early continuous veno-venous hemofiltration may be considered as an alternative treatment to improve patient survival and to prevent severe neurological disabilities.