• Muhammet Sukru Paksu, Sule Paksu, Muhammet Akgün, Ayhan Gazi Kalaycı, and Kemal Baysal.
• Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey. sukrupaksu@yahoo.com
• Eur. J. Pediatr. 2011 Sep 1;170(9):1205-7.

AbstractReexpansion pulmonary edema is an uncommon complication following rapid reexpansion of the lungs. The risk increases with a prolonged duration of pulmonary collapse, the amount of drained liquid or air, and with decreased time of draining. Treatment is supportive. In general, the prognosis is favorable. A nine-year-old boy was presented with fever, cough, and respiratory distress. Pneumonia and left-sided pleural empyema were determined and a chest tube was emplaced. Clinical deterioration occurred in just a few minutes following chest tube insertion. His chest radiography revealed a pulmonary edema in the left lung. Despite mechanical ventilation, antibiotics, and diuretic treatment, no significant improvement occurred. Acute respiratory distress syndrome and multiple organ dysfunctions developed in the follow-up. The patient died on day 5 of hospitalization. In this report, a complicated reexpansion pulmonary edema with a lathal outcome in a 9-year-old child is presented.

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