Successfully treatment of application awake extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in critical COVID-19 patient: a case report

BACKGROUND: A newly infectious diseases named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged in China and now has spread in many countries, and constituted a public health emergency of international concern. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is used as salvage therapies in critical COVID-19 patients with respiratory/cardiac failure. CASE PRESENTATION: A 49-year-old female patient was diagnosed with COVID-19 and progressed to critical cases, she was successfully treated with the application of awake extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. This case is the first reported successfully treatment of application awake ECMO in critical COVID-19 patient in China. CONCLUSIONS: Here we present the first reported successfully treatment of application awake ECMO in critical COVID-19 patient, however, whether awake ECMO can be widely used in the treatment of critical COVID-19 patients need more practice.