Silent regurgitation during general anesthesia

ABSTRACT

Regurgitation of acidic gastric fluid and subsequent pulmonary injury still remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality in clinical anesthesia. In this case report we describe our experience with a 39-year-old Indian woman who developed silent regurgitation [SR] during induction of general anesthesia for an emergency surgery. SR was manifested by hypoxaemia [SaO2 90%] and bronchospasm. Her chest x-ray revealed collapse and consolidation of the right upper lobe of the lung. She was treated with corticosteroids, aminophylline, antibiotics and fibreoptic bronchoscopic lavage and ultimately recovered without any long-term sequelae