Fatal ball-valve airway obstruction by an extensive blood clot during mechanical ventilation.
A ball-valve airway obstruction by a blood clot cast of almost the whole bronchial tree occurred in a small-cell lung cancer patient, who had been on mechanical ventilation for 9 days. Chest radiographs revealed overinflated lungs. Attempts to remove the cast via fibreoptic bronchoscopy were unsuccessful and the patient died. A postmortem extraction of the clot was performed with a rigid tube. This case is rare because of absence of severe haemoptysis and lung volume reduction.
Dept of Pulmonary Diseases, University Hospital, Dijon, France.
P
P
Foucher
M
M
Merati
N
N
Baudouin
O
O
Reybet-Degat
P
P
Camus
L
L
Jeannin
D000368:Aged; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology*; D001982:Bronchial Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000188:drug therapy; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005336:Fiber Optic Technology; D006469:Hemoptysis / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000150:complications*