[Re-expansion pulmonary oedema in a patient after treatment of pneumothorax]. / Re-expansielongoedeem bij een patiënt na behandeling van een pneumothorax.

In a 32-year-old man with left-sided pneumothorax, dyspnoea and tachypnoea with a drop in blood pressure and severe hypoxaemia recurred during drainage. The chest X-ray revealed an alveolar infiltrate in the middle and lower segments of the left lung that was interpreted as re-expansion pulmonary oedema. The patient was respirated and given extra fluids. Extubation was possible after four days. Re-expansion pulmonary oedema is a rare, potentially lethal complication after treatment of a collapsed lung due to a hydro- or pneumothorax. The oedema usually occurs in the re-expanded lung and must be considered when there is a sudden respiratory or haemodynamic deterioration after drainage of X fluid or air. The diagnosis is made by clinical examination and chest X-ray. Predisposing factors are a large hydro- or pneumothorax, long-term collapse, young age and rapid re-expansion. This complication can be prevented by low negative suction pressures and by aspirating a maximum of 1000 to 1500 ml of pleural fluid. The pathophysiology of re-expansion pulmonary oedema is not completely understood and is probably multifactorial. The treatment is merely supportive: oxygen, intravenous fluid substitution and if necessary artificial ventilation. The use of diuretics should be avoided in patients with hypotension.

Anaphylaxis during anaesthesia: diagnosis and treatment.

Anaphylactic and anaphylactoid reactions during anaesthesia are rare, but potentially life-threatening allergic events. The worst manifestations are cardiovascular collapse, bronchospasm and laryngeal oedema. Anaphylactic and anaphylactoid reactions are clinically indistinguishable. The most incriminated agents are neuromuscular blocking drugs and latex. Treatment consists of instant interruption of contact with possible antigens, 100% oxygen, intubation, adrenaline and volume expansion. The incidence of cross-reactivity between neuromuscular blocking drugs is high. Further investigation of a suspected anaphylactic reaction is mandatory to find the responsible drug and to make future anaesthesia safe. Diagnosis is made with intraoperative tests (serum histamine and mast cell tryptase) and postoperative tests (skin tests and RASTs for specific IgE antibodies).

Intradermal skin testing in the investigation of suspected anaphylactic reactions during anaesthesia--a retrospective survey.

An anaphylactic reaction is a rare, but severe anaesthetic complication. In this retrospective survey we report on patients with a severe suspected anaphylactic reaction during anaesthesia and the investigation with intradermal skin testing of these suspected anaphylactic reactions. In the patients with an anaphylactic reaction to neuromuscular blocking drugs, the subsequent anaesthetic history was examined. Sixty-five patients suffered a suspected anaphylactic reaction between 1976 and 2001. In 47 patients skin testing was performed and 43 of these patients had positive skin tests: neuromuscular blockings drugs and succinylcholine more specifically, were the most frequently incriminated drugs. After the anaphylactic reaction 19 patients had surgery on 26 occasions with the use of a skin-test-negative neuromuscular blocking drug; no problems occurred. Skin testing proved to be a reliable tool to investigate suspected anaphylactic reactions during anaesthesia and to guide the future use of neuromuscular blocking drugs.

Influence of maternal position during epidural labor analgesia.

The influence of maternal position on the spread of local anesthetics in low concentration has not been well examined during epidural analgesia for labor. This study was designed to investigate the differences in sensory block, pain relief and incidence of supine hypotensive syndrome between parturients in the left lateral position and in a modified supine position. Sixty-seven parturients were randomly assigned to lie either in the left lateral position (n = 34) or in a modified supine position (n = 33), and received 0.125% bupivacaine 10 mL with epinephrine 1:800000 and sufentanil 7.5 microg. At 20 min parturients in the modified supine position turned to the left lateral position and a second investigator, unaware of the initial position, measured the extent of the sensory block at 20 and 30 min and just before a second epidural injection was requested. More dermatomes were blocked on the dependent side when the dose was injected in the left lateral position (at 20 and 30 min: P < 0.05; before the second epidural injection: P < 0.0005). In the modified supine position the incidence of bilaterally blocked dermatomes T10-L1 was greater at 20 and 30 min (P < 0.05) and the pain on a visual analogue scale was better at 30 min (P < 0.05). Three parturients in the modified supine position had signs and symptoms of supine hypotensive syndrome. We conclude that injecting in the modified supine position results in a more equal spread of local anesthetic and better pain relief.