Pedal gangrene in a patient with COVID-19 treated with prone positioning and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Abstract

Many patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 are treated with venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and prone positioning to optimize oxygenation. However, this combination can result in lower extremity tissue necrosis, especially without adequate offloading. We report the case of a 31-year-old man who required mechanical ventilation and venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation secondary to complications from coronavirus disease 2019, and subsequently developed pedal dry gangrene. The patient was discharged and healed without requiring an amputation. Our institution has since revised the prone positioning protocol to address offloading the lower extremities and feet.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• ECMO
• Hypercoagulable
• Necrosis
• Offload
• Prone position