RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of early bronchoscopic sputum suction in elderly patients with acute heart and lung failure due to aspiration pneumonia. METHODS: Comprehensive treatments were administered for 52 elderly patients with acute heart and lung failure resulting from aspiration pneumonia, and in 27 of the patients, bronchoscopic sputum suction was performed with the other 25 serving as the control group. The indices of the heart and lung functions (central venous pressure, left ventricular ejection fraction, arterial blood partial pressures of oxygen and carbon dioxide) were measured after the treatment and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Patients receiving bronchoscopic suction showed faster recovery of normal central venous pressure and left ventricular ejection fraction and more rapid increment of arterial partial pressure of oxygen and reduction of carbon dioxide partial pressure than those without the suction (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Early bronchoscopic sputum suction can be one of the effective emergency measures for rescuing acute heart and lung failure due to aspiration pneumonia.
