[Pulmonary edema in a child following laryngospasm triggered by a laryngeal mask airway during emergence from anesthesia]

Abstract

A 9-year-old boy underwent biopsy of the tumor at the external auditory meatus under general anesthesia with a laryngeal mask airway(LMA). During emergence from anesthesia, laryngospasm with marked inspiratory effort and cyanosis occurred. The LMA was removed and the patient was orotracheally intubated following vecuronium administration. In spite of controlled ventilation with 100% oxygen, oxygen saturation remained at low 90s and pink frothy sputum appeared in the tracheal tube. We suspected negative pressure pulmonary edema and treated him with mechanical ventilation with positive end-expiratory pressure. Seventeen hours later the pink frothy sputum decreased and he was extubated. Laryngospasm during emergence from anesthesia with an LMA can induce negative pressure pulmonary edema, especially in pediatric patients.