Postoperative Pulmonary Atelectasis

The importance of pulmonary atelectasis as a postoperative complication has gained increasing recognition during the past few years. At first, attention was focused on the instances of massive collapse, as described by Pasteur¹(1908) and again by Leopold,²who adopted Jackson's designation of "drowned lung," believing the condition to be best described as "post-operative massive pulmonary collapse and drowned lung." This condition is, of course, dramatic in all its phases, but is of relatively infrequent occurrence. However, so-called partial atelectasis is not uncommon—based on my own observations and those of many other observers. In fact, Mastics, Spittler and McNamee³stated that the atelectasis accounts for about 70 per cent of all post-operative pulmonary complications. Strictly speaking, the term partial atelectasis is incorrect. Atelectasis is complete in any given area, but is limited to a greater or lesser portion of the lung according to the magnitude or number