Accepted for publication 28th April, 1993. fection, developed ARDS a few hours after surgery, probably due to sepsis.
Case reportA 72-yr-old patient was scheduled for radical neck dissection to excise a metastatic neck tumour. Two months earlier, he underwent total laryngectomy for a squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx. He had a history of heavy smoking and alcoholism. At the preanaesthetic examination, the patient, fitted with a permanent metallic tracheostomy cannula, appeared to be in good condition. The physical examination was normal, his rectal temperature was 36.5~ and the laboratory data were within normal limits. A chest x-ray revealed emphysema.On arrival at the operating room, he felt well and with vital signs within normal limits. A catheter (AL) was introduced into the left radial artery and a central venous line into the left basilic vein.After substituting the permanent tracheostomy cannula with a flexible Ruschlit tracheostomy tube (Rush, Germany), anaesthesia was induced with midazolam (3 rag), fentanyl (0.01 mg-kg-l), followed by boluses (0.002-0.003 mg. kg -l) as needed, and pancuronium (0.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.