Use of continuous positive airway pressure during spinal anaesthesia in a patient with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
We report the case of a patient with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who underwent local resection of a carcinoma of the rectum under spinal anaesthesia. Although the patient was keen to avoid general anaesthesia and to have the operation under a spinal anaesthetic, pre-operative assessment showed that he could not lie flat. As the surgical procedure required the patient to be in the lithotomy position, ideally with a head-down tilt, it was hoped that continuous positive airway pressure with a facemask during spinal anaesthesia might help him to tolerate the position comfortably. Continuous positive airway pressure at 7.5 cmH(2)O was successfully used to facilitate breathing during surgery under spinal anaesthesia. A combination of regional anaesthesia and continuous positive airway pressure via a facemask is easy to use and may be a useful option in the management of these challenging patients.
Bapat
P P
PP
Arrowe Park Hospital, Upton, UK. pbapat@hotmail.com
Anderson
J A
JA
Bapat
S
S
Sule
A
A
D000368:Aged; D000775:Anesthesia, Spinal; D045422:Continuous Positive Airway Pressure / Q000379:methods*; D018475:Head-Down Tilt; D006801:Humans; D007430:Intraoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000628:therapy*; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery