Acute Respiratory Distress in the Operating Room and Prone Ventilation: A Case Report

Abstract

There have been many advances in the management of acute respiratory distress syndrome, a condition which Bellani et al, in the LUNG SAFE trial (Large Observational Study to Understand the Global Impact of Severe Acute Respiratory Failure), found represents up to 10.4% of intensive care unit admissions and 23.4% of patients requiring mechanical ventilation, with an unadjusted intensive care unit and hospital mortality of 35.3% and 40%, respectively. Studies have shown that prone positioning can improve oxygenation in patients who are mechanically ventilated for acute respiratory distress syndrome. This case report describes an example in which intraoperative prone positioning improved oxygenation in a patient after aspiration of gastric contents on induction of general anesthesia.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 Cardiovascular Complications: Implications for Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology

“…However, prone positioning has been used as a rescue therapy intraoperatively immediately after surgery requiring supine positioning. 101 Inhaled nitric oxide (5-20 ppm) is another intervention that can improve oxygenation and is used regularly in the operating room. Finally, for hypoxia that fails to improve with these therapies, ECMO is an option that can be used readily in the operating room, given resource availability.…”