ECMO Support for Patients With Myocarditis

This chapter on extracorporeal support for myocarditis is focused on major aspects of this acute heart muscle inflammatory disease, which can occur in a wide spectrum of presentations and in the most serious cases progresses into severe circulatory collapse. Opening with a clinical case report of such acute heart failure, a brief overview is presented of incidence, causes, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic methods, treatment, and long-term consequences of acute myocarditis with a special emphasis on core issues of mechanical circulatory support. These include types of support with their benefits and drawbacks, left ventricle unloading methods, and predictors of recovery. The issue of pediatric patients is also mentioned in a separate paragraph.