Plastic bronchitis is an uncommon disorder marked by the production of bronchial casts and acute respiratory failure development. In pediatric cases, influenza infection sometimes results in the obstruction of bronchi and leads to this potentially life-threatening condition. We report the case of a five-year-old boy with plastic bronchitis related to influenza A infection, which could only be recovered by the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). ECMO could effectively provide sufficient oxygenation for patients suffering from severe reversible acute respiratory failure. If patients infected with the influenza virus present acute respiratory distress with total lung atelectasis, clinicians should consider the diagnosis of plastic bronchitis and the subsequent treatment interventions with ECMO in a severe cases.