Reexpansion pulmonary edema due to high-frequency jet ventilation: report of a case

Reexpansion pulmonary edema: review of pediatric cases

Reexpansion pulmonary edema (RPE) is an increased permeability pulmonary edema that usually occurs in the reexpanded lung after several days of lung collapse. This condition is recognized to occur more frequently in patients under the age of 40 years, but there has been no detailed analysis of reported pediatric cases of RPE to date. For this review, PubMed literature searches were performed using the following terms: 're(-)expansion pulmonary (o)edema' AND ('child' OR 'children' OR 'infant' OR 'boy' OR 'girl' OR 'adolescent'). The 22 pediatric cases of RPE identified were included in this review. RPE was reported in almost the entire pediatric age range, and as in adult cases, the severity ranged from subclinical to lethal. No specific treatment for RPE was identified, and treatment was administered according to the clinical features of each patient. Of the 22 reported cases, 10 occurred during the perioperative period, but were not related to any specific surgical procedures or anesthetic techniques, or to the duration of lung collapse. Pediatric anesthesiologists should be aware that pediatric RPE can occur after reexpansion of any collapsed lung and that some invasive therapies can be useful in severe cases.

Reexpansion pulmonary edema following a posttraumatic pneumothorax: a case report and review of the literature

The reexpansion pulmonary edema is a rare, but life threatening complication of a pneumothorax. Early recognition and a fast symptom orientated therapy are necessary for a good outcome. Several cases after non traumatic pneumothoraces are reported. We describe a patient who presented with a post-traumatic right pneumothorax. After the insertion of a chest tube he developed a reexpansion pulmonary edema, which had to be treated by an intubation.

Additionally, a review of the literature regarding case reports of reexpansion pulmonary edema is presented.

[Differential diagnosis of pulmonary infiltration after insertion of a chest tube for pneumothorax]

Reexpansion injury of the lung is rare and may occur after reexpansion of a collapsed lung such as after evacuation of a large amount of air or fluid from the pleural space. Its pathogenesis, however, is not clearly understood. Pulmonary edema should always be considered if the patient's respiratory condition worsens after lung reexpansion.

Jet ventilation for anterior paediatric scoliosis surgery

Single-lung anaesthesia for thoracotomy is usually achieved with endobronchial intubation, a double-lumen tube or an endobronchial blocker. High-frequency jet ventilation (HFJV) is seldom described for thoracotomy in children, although it is used for both laryngology procedures in the operating room and as a ventilation mode in intensive care. HFJV was used in three children, aged 10-12 years, who presented for scoliosis correction involving thoracotomy. The jet ventilation catheter was passed through a tracheal tube to reduce the risk of outflow obstruction and allow a smooth conversion to intermittent positive-pressure ventilation when required. Mean airway pressures measured at the tip of the HFJV catheter were at or below 4 cmH2O. Surgical opening of the nondependent lung pleura resulted in sufficient collapse of the pulmonary parenchyma with the patient in the lateral decubitus position for the surgical procedure. Arterial blood gas analyses performed during thoracotomy were within normal limits, with no CO2 retention. HFJV is an alternative ventilation strategy for thoracotomy in children because of its unique ability to deliver small tidal volumes at low mean airway pressures via a narrow catheter.