Negative pressure pulmonary edema--case series and review of literature

Acute Postobstructive Pulmonary Edema Following Laryngospasm in Elderly Patients: A Case Report

Only a few cases regarding postobstructive pulmonary edema following laryngospasm in older patients aged more than 60 years have been reported; however, acute pulmonary edema or pulmonary hemorrhage would be more deadly to elderly patients who have cerebrovascular disease than young healthy adults. After review of the literature, we report an unusual case of a 67-year-old man with ischemic cerebrovascular disease, who underwent carotid angioplasty and stenting and experienced severe pulmonary edema and hemorrhage secondary to laryngospasm after general anesthesia with laryngeal mask airway. The patient required positive-pressure ventilation, supportive treatment, and active cerebroprotection in the intensive care setting for 3 days before the edema resolved, and subsequently made a complete recovery without new onset of neurologic sequelae. The possible pathophysiological mechanisms, precaution, and preventative strategy of postobstructive pulmonary edema in older patients are discussed.

[Negative pressure pulmonary edema following a cholecystectomy - A case report]

Negative pressure pulmonary edema (NPPE) or post-obstructive pulmonary edema (POPE) is a rare but a life threatening respiratory situation. The most frequent cause of NPPE is a post anesthetic laryngospasm. Edema is developed after relief of upper airway obstruction. Its incidence is 0.1 % of general anesthesia with tracheal intubation. We report this clinical case of a 28-year-old woman, who developed dyspnea followed by acute respiratory distress with unilateral pulmonary edema after extubation following general anesthesia for cholecystectomy under celioscopy. After elimination of any other cause, context, clinical and radiological characteristics, and the favorable evolution under oxygen and furosemide made it possible for us to link this acute respiratory distress to a NPPE whose pathophysiological causes and mechanisms are discussed.

A case of negative pressure pulmonary edema in an asthmatic patient after laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Negative pressure pulmonary edema is often misdiagnosed or can go clinically unrecognized by anesthesiologists. It is characterized by a markedly low intrapleural pressure which leads to exudation of fluid and red blood cells in the interstitium. Recognition of patients with predisposing factors for upper airway obstruction is important in the diagnosis which is often confused with pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents. Signs and symptoms are subtle and edema is usually self-limited. Our patient was management conservatively with maintenance of a patent airway and administration of supplemental oxygen and had a successful outcome.