PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Charilaos-Panagiotis C Koutsogiannidis
AU  - Fotini C Ampatzidou
AU  - Olga G Ananiadou
AU  - Theodoros E Karaiskos
AU  - George E Drossos
TI  - Noninvasive Ventilation for Post-Pneumonectomy Severe Hypoxemia
AID  - 10.4187/respcare.01493
DP  - 2012 Sep 01
TA  - Respiratory Care
PG  - 1514--1516
VI  - 57
IP  - 9
4099  - http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/57/9/1514.short
4100  - http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/57/9/1514.full
AB  - ARDS remains a lethal complication after major lung resections. The reported mortality ranges from 50% to 100%, with increased incidence and mortality rates in pneumonectomy patients. The pathogenesis of early ARDS is still not fully understood, and the majority of patients will require mechanical ventilation. A review of the literature reveals that the role of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) in ARDS after lung resection is unclear, in contrast to its well established benefits in other types of respiratory failure. NIV is a technique of augmenting alveolar ventilation delivered by face mask, without introducing an endotracheal tube. NIV may reduce the need for endotracheal mechanical ventilation and improve clinical outcome in patients with acute respiratory failure after lung resection, avoiding complications related to intubation. We present a case of early ARDS following left-sided pneumonectomy, where bi-level positive airway pressure ventilation prompted a successful outcome.