Airway Obstruction due to Mucous Plug During General Inhalation Anesthesia with Double Lumen Endobronchial Tube: A case report / 대한마취과학회지

Acute airway obstruction during endotracheal anesthesia is embarrassing and critical situation which requires early diagnosis and immediate management. A 57-year-old man was scheduled for right pneumonectomy for a destroyed lung by fibroatelectatic changes and pleural calcification of right lung. We experienced high arterial PCO2 and inspiratory resistance during Left - Sided Double Lumen Endobronchial anesthesia in the left decubitus position. We exchanged tube after failure of suction and found airway obstruction due to mucous plug attached to the bevel of the endobronchial lumen.

Atelectasis of Right upper Lobe after Left Thoracotomy under General Inhalation Anesthesia / 대한마취과학회지

Pulmonary atelectasis is a common complication following surgery under general anesthesia. However, collapse during anesthesia and surgery is rare, and usually is not diagnosed until the surgical procedure is well under way. Total or segmental lung collapses are usually resulted from the obstruction of bronchial pathway by secretions such as mucus, blood and pus etc. We experienced acute lung collapse of right upper lobe during left thoracotomy. We assumed that the cause of the atelectasis was an obstruction of right superior lobar bronchus by mucus. The possible cause of lung collapse is described.