Case 2-2022: An Adolescent Male in Cardiac Arrest 3 Days After Liver Transplantation for End-Stage Liver Disease

    May 2022 in “ Pediatric Critical Care Medicine ”
    Eleonore Valencia, Khashayar Vakili, Ravi R. Thiagarajan, Mary P. Mullen, Francis Fynn‐Thompson, Christopher B. Weldon, Melody G. Duvall
    TLDR The patient recovered well and returned to college without any lasting issues.
    A 19-year-old male with a history of Crohn's disease, primary sclerosing cholangitis, and autoimmune hepatitis experienced cardiac arrest three days after a liver transplant due to severe portopulmonary hypertension (PPHTN). Despite initial stability, he developed complications including sinus tachycardia, hypoxia, and thrombocytopenia. Extensive resuscitation efforts, including ECMO and a paracorporeal lung-assist device, were employed to manage right ventricular (RV) failure. Vitamin C deficiency was identified and treated. After 29 days on ECMO and 15 days on the lung-assist device, the patient showed significant recovery and was eventually discharged to rehabilitation, returning to college without neurocognitive or physical limitations.
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