JPMA. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association
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Twelve cases of post-anaesthetic pulmonary oedema (PO) secondary to upper airway obstruction (UAO) are reported. All were adult male patients undergoing uneventful elective surgical procedure under general anaesthesia. Post-anaesthetic laryngospasm was the single most important factor for the upper airway obstruction (UAO) in 5 (41.6%) patients. ⋯ Early recognition, maintenance of patent airway and adequate oxygenation via face mask or endotracheal tube with mechanical ventilation resolved the syndrome within 6-36 hours in all of these patients. Invasive haemodynamic monitoring or aggressive drug therapy were not applied in any of the patients. A heightened awareness among anaesthesiologists of the varied causes of post-anaesthetic UAO leading to PO may help reduce the occurrence and facilitate early management of the potential complications.