Case report
Alveolar recruitment maneuver in refractory hypoxemia and lobar atelectasis after cardiac surgery: A case report
1 Physiotherapy Department, Heart Institute (InCor), University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil
2 Serviço de Cirurgia Cardíaca Pediátrica do Instituto do Coração do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de medicina da USP (InCor-HCFMUSP), Sao Paulo, Brazil
3 Anesthesiology Division, Heart Institute (InCor), University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil
4 Av. Dr. Enéas de Carvalho Aguiar, 44. Serviço de Fisioterapia, Bloco 1, 2° Andar, InCor, São Paulo CEP: 05403-900, Brazil
Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery 2012, 7:58 doi:10.1186/1749-8090-7-58
Published: 22 June 2012Abstract
Objective
This case report describes an unusual presentation of right upper lobe atelectasis associated with refractory hypoxemia to conventional alveolar recruitment maneuvers in a patient soon after coronary artery bypass grafting surgery.
Method
Case-report.
Results
The alveolar recruitment with PEEP = 40cmH2O improved the patient’s atelectasis and hypoxemia.
Conclusion
In the present report, the unusual alveolar recruitment maneuver with PEEP 40cmH2O showed to be safe and efficient to reverse refractory hypoxemia and uncommon atelectasis in a patient after cardiac surgery.
