Description
Pulmonary oedema due to acute upper airway obstruction (negative pressure pulmonary oedema) may occur in fit and healthy patients following any cause of upper airway obstruction, including anaesthesia. A typical case is reported in a healthy patient undergoing caesarean section. The predominant mechanism is increased negative intrathoracic pressure, although hypoxaemia, alpha-adrenergic discharge and pulmonary capillary damage all contribute. The majority of cases present within minutes of relief of the obstruction. Management is usually restricted to the administration of oxygen and, in approximately 50% of cases, positive airway pressure. Recovery is typically rapid, with most cases resolved within a few hours.
