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Book

Atelectasis

Kelly Grott  1 , Shaylika Chauhan  2 , Devang K. Sanghavi  3 , Julie D. Dunlap
In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan.
.
Affiliations
Book

Atelectasis

Kelly Grott et al.

Excerpt

The word atelectasis originates from Greek, combining ateles and ektasis, thus translating to "incomplete expansion." The concept was first introduced by German physician Eduard Jörg in 1832 in his work De morbo pulmonum organico ex respiratione neonatorum imperfecta orto. Atelectasis occurs due to the partial or complete, reversible collapse of the small airways, resulting in impaired exchange of CO2 and O2, causing an intrapulmonary shunt (perfusion without ventilation). The incidence of atelectasis in patients undergoing general anesthesia can be as high as 90%, underscoring its clinical significance.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: Kelly Grott declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Shaylika Chauhan declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Devang Sanghavi declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Julie Dunlap declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

References

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