Early initiation of awake venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in critical COVID-19 pneumonia: A case reports

INTRODUCTION: Overall, patients with Sars-cov-2 disease treated with mechanical ventilation, which is not the case in our study. This report presents our first successful experience of awake ECMO application in a critical patient with hypoxemic Respiratory Failure related to COVID-19 infection in Morocco. CASE MANAGEMENT: We have reported a 52-year-old female patient who was diagnosed with COVID-19 infection and progressed to critical cases. She was a candidate for applying awake extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in the absence of invasive mechanical ventilation, under local anesthesia alone with good progress and ventilatory weaning. CONCLUSION: This therapeutic attitude can be beneficial for certain critical and severe cases due to COVID-19 infection. Each ECMO program should develop goals, methods, protocols, and best practices while adapting appropriately to the personnel and equipment available.