A case report of severe tracheal obstruction requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

The authors describe the case of a near-fatal airway obstruction requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The patient presented with severe respiratory distress owing to a bean impacted in the distal trachea. The foreign body could not be removed by bronchoscopy because of instability of the patient. The patient was placed on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for temporary pulmonary support, and the foreign body was removed using a rigid bronchoscope. The patient had a full recovery and suffered no neurologic sequelae.