NEGATIVE-PRESSURE PULMONARY-EDEMA AS A POST-ANESTHETIC COMPLICATION ASSOCIATED WITH UPPER AIRWAY-OBSTRUCTION IN A HORSE

An 8-year-old Trakehner man developed fulminant pulmonary edema follow ing suspected upper airway obstruction 50 minutes into an otherwise un remarkable anesthetic recovery after surgery for left cricoarytenoideu s dorsalis muscle reinnervation and ventriculocordectomy. Establishing a patent airway by orotracheal reintubation and cardiopulmonary resus citation attempts were unsuccessful. Gross, histological, and electron microscopic postmortem examination showed severe hemorrhagic pulmonar y edema. Laryngeal swelling or hemorrhage were not evident, suggesting laryngospasm or functional airway collapse associated with the underl ying left laryngeal paralysis, as a cause of the upper airway obstruct ion. Negative pressure pulmonary edema is rarely reported in the veter inary literature as a postanesthetic complication. (C) Copyright 1996 by The American College of Veterinary Surgeons