Sand aspiration in a child: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) as a new management tool

Sand aspiration is rare in children. It is a potentially lethal injury, with outcomes ranging from full recovery to global cerebral asphyxia and death. The medical literature was searched for cases of sand aspiration in children, including mechanisms of injury and treatment methods. We found only ten reports of pediatric sand aspiration. The majority were treated with bronchoscopy and lavage. We present a unique case of sand aspiration in a ten-year-old boy caused by an accidental burial, which was successfully treated with bronchoscopy and extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) as a rescue therapy. This is the first ever case of the use of ECMO in the management of sand aspiration. We argue that ECMO is an effective and potentially life-saving measure in severe cases of sand aspiration requiring high ventilatory pressures allowing repeated bronchoscopies while resting the lungs.