Negative pressure induced airway and pulmonary injury.

PURPOSE: To describe negative pressure injury occurring during the use of a laryngeal mask airway (LMA) in which airway bleeding rather than pulmonary oedema was the major complication.

CLINICAL FEATURES: A patient presented to the day surgery unit for resection of a ganglion cyst on her right wrist. She underwent general anaesthesia using an LMA, and experienced severe laryngospasm and transient hypoxaemia (oxygen saturation to 66%) seven minutes after incision. This resolved within 90 sec of succinylcholine administration. Nonetheless, the LMA was removed, a tracheal tube was inserted atraumatically and positive pressure ventilation was maintained until the time of emergence, when fresh blood appeared in the tracheal tube. The blood ultimately became frothy, resembling pulmonary oedema fluid. Haemoptysis, continued postoperatively and led to the hospitalization of this ambulatory patient.

CONCLUSION: Rapid development of large subatmospheric pressures, as can occur during severe laryngospasm, may disrupt the tracheobronchial vasculature causing airway bleeding. This bleeding should be distinguished from negative pressure pulmonary oedema.