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General anaesthesia and undrained pneumothorax
Author(s) -
CROFTS S. L.,
HUTCHISON G. L.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
anaesthesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.839
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1365-2044
pISSN - 0003-2409
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2044.1991.tb09407.x
Subject(s) - medicine , anesthesia , pneumothorax , general anaesthesia , propofol , bronchopleural fistula , ventilation (architecture) , surgery , nitrous oxide , controlled ventilation , lung , pneumonectomy , mechanical engineering , engineering
Summary A patient who required pleurectomy had a 30% pneumothorax when she was presented for anaesthesia. She had refused to have this drained, and it had not responded to conservative management. She was anaesthetised using a computer‐controlled propofol infusion system, without the use of nitrous oxide, and a chest drain was inserted before the institution of positive pressure ventilation. This technique reduces the hazards associated with general anaesthesia in the presence of an undrained pneumothorax. It may be a safe alternative method of induction of anaesthesia in other conditions in which positive pressure ventilation must be avoided, such as bronchopleural fistula.