A case of diffuse alveolar hemorrhage after tonsillectomy -a case report-

Abstract

Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) is an acute, life-threatening event. The blood-gas barrier must be very thin to allow gas exchange and is therefore subjected to high mechanical stresses when the capillary pressure rises. In general anesthesia, inhaled gases cause high mechanical stresses, and thus DAH occurs under certain conditions. We describe a case of inferred postoperative DAH. A 25-year-old man had an acute episode after undergoing a tonsillectomy for snoring. During surgery, no problems occurred and no marked bleeding was observed. After removal of the endotracheal tube, however, the patient had severe cough and hemoptysis. The patient was treated with an antihemorrhagic agent and antibiotics. He recovered after 1 week. Chronic snoring likely caused the alveolar damage in this patient and intubation led to DAH. The patient presented with a benign course that regressed spontaneously with medical intervention. ? the Korean Society of Anesthesiologists, 2012.