A Rare Presentation of Controlled Chaos: Spontaneous Pneumothorax Under General Anaesthesia

Abstract

Perioperative pneumothorax is a potentially dangerous and rare complication during general anaesthesia. Hereby the authors report a case of 25-year-old female, who was posted for a dental procedure, and developed spontaneous pneumothorax under general anaesthesia. The patient had no co-morbidities or risk factors during the perioperative period and classified as American Society of Anaesthesiologist’s (ASA) class I. She was planned under general anaesthesia with an orotracheal intubation with controlled positive pressure ventilation. At the end of the surgery, she developed significant respiratory changes which rose the suspicion of pneumothorax and later, it was confirmed radiologically. This early suspicion and early intervention by tube thoracostomy in Postanaesthesia Care Unit (PACU) stabilised the patient and resolved eventually. Early recognition and appropriate intervention can mitigate the perioperative outcome and reduce morbidity. Positive pressure ventilation, Positive End Expiratory Pressure (PEEP) and airway handling being the major predisposing factors for the development of pneumothorax. This further reiterates the need for keen perioperative vigilance for early recognition and appropriate management. Although rare, pneumothorax should be considered as differential diagnosis in crisis scenarios like tight bag.