Management of pulmonary aspiration due to undiagnosed achalasia during induction of general anesthesia - A case report

Abstract

Background: Intraoperative pulmonary aspiration is a rare but potentially fatal complication associated with various risk factors. Preoperative recognition of these risk factors can prevent aspiration events during general anesthesia or facilitate prompt corrective measures in patients experiencing this complication.

Case: A 70-year-old female patient with hypertension underwent bilateral total knee arthroplasty under general anesthesia. Despite using a midnight nothing-per-oral (NPO) protocol, an unpredictable intraoperative aspiration event occurred during anesthesia induction. A detailed evaluation of the patient's medical history and subsequent diagnostic imaging examinations indicated achalasia. She was treated for aspiration pneumonia for 2 weeks. After 2 months, rescheduled total knee arthroplasty was performed under spinal anesthesia without any complications.

Conclusions: Obtaining the patient's medical history and assessing the risk factors are important to prevent unpredictable intraoperative pulmonary aspiration. High-risk patients should undergo adequate preoperative fasting and regional anesthesia or rapid-sequence intubation should be considered for safe induction of general anesthesia.