2020 Volume 35 Issue 5 Pages 751-755
[Purpose] This paper reports a patient with a worsened breathing condition due to SARS-CoV-2 infection, treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for life-saving support and physical therapy for disuse syndrome prevention. [Patient and Course of Treatment] The patient was a 69-year-old male, who rode on a cruise ship, and subsequently became infected with SARS-CoV-2. He was admitted to a hospital on February 11. Mechanical ventilation and ECMO for him were initiated on February 16 and 17, respectively. The patient was transferred to our hospital on February 20, with an ECMO device attached. ECMO and mechanical ventilation for him were discontinued on February 25 and 29, respectively. He was transferred from an intensive care unit to a negative pressure room on March 5. Before admission to this room, he underwent nursing assessment. He was discharged to home on March 21, when he became able to perform ADL and walk independently again. [Conclusion] The physical therapy approaches performed in this case were similar to those for severe respiratory failure due to pneumonia. During physical therapy, the patient’s SpO2 level markedly varied. Chest X-ray showed an infiltrative shadow in the left upper lung field until discharge, suggesting an imbalance in the ventilation‐perfusion ratio.
