Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation with lepirudin anticoagulation for Wegener's granulomatosis with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.

Author(s): Balasubramanian SK, Tiruvoipati R, Chatterjee S, Sosnowski A, Firmin RK

Affiliation(s): Department of ECMO and Cardiac Surgery, Glenfield Hospital, Groby Road, Leicester, United Kingdom.

Publication date & source: 2005-07, ASAIO J., 51(4):477-9.

Publication type: Case Reports

Venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation with lepirudin anticoagulation was successfully used for a complicated case of Wegener's granulomatosis and heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. Interestingly, a linear correlation was found between activated partial thromboplastin time and activated clotting time during lepirudin anticoagulation.