Korean J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg.  1997 Sep;30(9):945-948.

New Treatment Method for Reexpansion Pulmonary Edema: Differential Lung Ventilation

• Cho SR
• Kim MS
• Lee JS

Abstract

Reexpansion Pulmonary edema is the iatrogenic complication which develops in a lung that has been rapidly reinflated after varied period of collapse secondary to a pneumothorax or a pleural effusion of large volume. Its incidence is relatively low, but can sometimes lead to death. The prevention of this disease is known well, but the definite treatment method has not been known in severe case although there have been conventional ventilator therapy and some medications in mild case. Asynchronous differential lung ventilation is a new therapeutic modelity which is applied independently to bilateral lungs in respiratory failure patients secondary to ventilation-perfusion mismatch, preoperatively, intraoperatively or postoperatively. By asynchronous differential lung ventilation, we successfully treated a severe reexpansion pulmonary edema in 29 year old male patient. Therefore we suggest that asynchronous differential lung ventilation is the treatment of choice for severe reexpansion pulmonary edema.

Keyword

Pulmonary edema, reexpansion; Respiration, artificial

MeSH Terms

Adult
Humans
Incidence
Lung*
Male
Pleural Effusion
Pneumothorax
Pulmonary Edema*
Respiration, Artificial
Respiratory Insufficiency
Ventilation*
Ventilators, Mechanical