title: Prone positioning to treat acute severe pulmonary edema in the post-cardiac surgical patient: a case report.
abstract: Noncardiogenic pulmonary edema can be fatal without adequate resuscitation. We report, for the first time, the use of prone positioning in the immediate post-cardiac surgical period to treat a patient with profound hypoxemia secondary to massive (noncardiogenic) pulmonary edema. Prone positioning corrects ventilation-perfusion mismatch and allows gravity-dependent drainage of capillary leak-mediated endobronchial pulmonary fluid.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Pavan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Atluri
authors.forename: Patrick J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Neligan
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Acker
authors.forename: Dean L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Bensall
authors.forename: Jiri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Horak
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016684:Prone Position; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*