Veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for patient with a history of open cholecystectomy and acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by coinfection of avian influenza A (H7N9) and Epstein-Barr virus

To the Editor:Most patients infected with avian influenza A (H7N9) rapidly develop progressive pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a heterogeneous disorder that is refractory to conventional mechanical ventilation. Most H7N9 patients also have underlying disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and heart diseases, and are more susceptible to coinfections. For these patients with such serious complications, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support can be adopted as a feasible life-saving therapy Here, we present our successful experience with ECMO utilized in a patient with ARDS and also with H 7N9 and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection.