Use of Perfluorodecalin for Bronchoalveolar Lavage in Case of Severe Pulmonary Hemorrhage and Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

We present a patient on venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for respiratory failure, secondary to complete airway obstruction from pulmonary hemorrhage after open pulmonary embolectomy. Obstruction was refractory to conventional therapy, including mechanical debridement and saline lavage. By using perfluorodecalin, we were able to transiently clear the airways of thrombus and reopen distal airways and alveoli more completely than with conventional therapies. The use of perfluorodecalin (versus radiopaque perflubron) enabled us to visualize this reopening on chest X-ray.