title: Pressure support ventilation with the laryngeal mask airway: a method to manage severe reactive airway disease postoperatively.
abstract: The use of a laryngeal mask airway (LMA) and a bi-level positive airway pressure (BiPAP) machine is described in a post-operative thoracotomy patient with reactive airway disease. The LMA was placed to avoid reintubation of the trachea after a double lumen tube was no longer necessary. Placement in an awakening patient and positive-pressure ventilatory support were well tolerated and did not trigger a bronchospastic response. The patient was able to cough and breathe deeply with the LMA while receiving ventilatory assistance in the post-anaesthesia care unit (PACU). The LMA is a therapeutic option to tracheal reintubation in patients who need postoperative ventilatory support after one-lung anaesthesia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Albany Medical College, NY 12208, USA.
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Groudine
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Lumb
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Sandison
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000762:Anesthesia Recovery Period; D001249:Asthma / Q000517:prevention & control; D001706:Biopsy; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001986:Bronchial Spasm / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003371:Cough / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D017214:Laryngeal Masks; D008297:Male; D011013:Pneumonectomy; D011175:Positive-Pressure Respiration / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011312:Pressure; D012119:Respiration / Q000502:physiology