Abstract
Exposure of patients to significant hemolysis can lead to serious clinical sequelae. Plasma free hemoglobin (pFHgb) is used during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support to monitor ongoing hemolysis that is a consequence of mechanical forces applied to the red blood cells. This publication presents the case of a 3-year-old child who required ECMO support due to severe pneumonia. During her ECMO course, she developed severe elevations of pFHgb that were of questionable validity. Additional laboratory findings suggested a concurrent hypertriglyceridemia to be the potential cause for these false elevations. Linear regression analysis was employed and revealed a statistically significant (P = .006) moderate correlation between pFHgb and triglyceride levels (R = .69). The analysis reinforces the theory that hypertriglyceridemia may lead to false increases in pFHgb, which may complicate a patient’s clinical picture and influence management decisions. Therefore, it should not be the sole value used to assess hemolysis in patients on ECMO.
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