Negative pressure pulmonary oedema after routine elective surgery.

ABSTRACT

Negative Pressure Pulmonary Oedema (NPPE) is known to occur in healthy subjects in the early post anaesthesia period, in the absence of fluid overload or left ventricular dysfunction. This type of non cardiogenic pulmonary oedema is also reported in literature following upper airway obstruction. We report two such cases of negative pressure pulmonary edema. Both the patients developed NPPE during postanaesthesia period due to persistent laryngospasm leading to upper airway obstruction. Both the patients were treated with diuretics, bronchodilators & antibiotics in intensive care unit. Within 24 hours the coarse crepitations disappeared and the patients were weaned off the ventilator. Awareness, early recognition and prompt treatment of negative pressure pulmonary oedema could be life saving.