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Case Reports
. 2021 Mar 15;29(1):48.
doi: 10.1186/s13049-021-00850-0.

Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation for severe chloroquine intoxication in a child - a case report

Thomas Ferry  1 , Vivianne Amiet  2 , Julia Natterer  2 , Marie-Hélène Perez  2 , Raymond Pfister  3 , Sébastien Colombier  3 , David Longchamp  4
Affiliations
Case Reports

Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation for severe chloroquine intoxication in a child - a case report

Thomas Ferry et al. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med. .

Abstract

Background: Chloroquine use has increased worldwide recently in the setting of experimental treatment for the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19). Nevertheless, in case of chloroquine intoxication, it can be life threatening, with cardiac arrest, due to its cardiac toxicity.

Case presentation: This case study reports on a 14-years-old girl who presented in cardiac arrest after an uncommon suicide attempt by ingesting 3 g of chloroquine. After 66 min of cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) was initiated, allowing cardiac function to recover.

Conclusions: Chloroquine intoxication is a rare but serious condition due to its cardiac toxicity. Use of ECPR in this case of transient toxicity allowed a favorable evolution with little neurological impairment.

Keywords: Arrhythmia; Emergency medicine; Extracorporeal Life support; Intensive Care; Pediatrics; Resuscitation.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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