Open AccessCrohn's disease-associated silent aspiration in the outpatient setting: Anesthesiologists beware
Author(s) -
Christopher R. Snell,
Scott Coleman,
Michele Van Hal,
Farshad Rashidian,
Gary S. Okum,
Michael S. Green
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
saudi journal of anaesthesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.416
H-Index - 24
eISSN - 1658-354X
pISSN - 0975-3125
DOI - 10.4103/sja.sja_663_17
Subject(s) - medicine , choking , pulmonary aspiration , disease , ambulatory , surgical team , anesthetic , intensive care medicine , surgery , anesthesia , general surgery , anatomy
Every anesthesia provider fears aspiration of gastric contents during an anesthetic, and it may occur even in the absence of overt signs such as coughing or choking. Whether the aspiration is frank or silent, catastrophic and deleterious consequences may ensue. Therefore, familiarity with risk factors for silent aspiration is essential. Crohn's disease reportedly delays gastric emptying making these patients more susceptible to silent aspiration during surgery. Anesthesia providers must be cognizant of this risk and vigilant in the recognition to formulate a specific treatment plan preoperatively. We present a case of an ambulatory surgical patient with suspected silent aspiration undiagnosed by the anesthesia care team before induction of anesthesia.