A young male presented in refractory shock from amlodipine poisoning despite vasopressors, insulin-normoglycemia therapy, calcium gluconate and glucagon. He needed venoarterial ECMO for hemodynamic support and TPE to remove protein-bound amlodipine. The use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for cardiotoxic poisoning and Total Plasma Exchange (TPE) in removing drugs has been described in the literature. We report a rare case where both lifesaving extracorporeal therapies were used in a patient with a severe drug overdose. Stabilizing hemodynamics with ECMO combined with TPE for drug removal is a feasible strategy in unstable patients with amlodipine overdose.
Keywords: Amlodipine; Extracorporeal mebrane oxygenation; Poisoning.