British journal of anaesthesia
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A case is described of spontaneous tension pneumothorax occurring during preparation for thoracic surgery. The earliest indication of this was unexplained haemoglobin desaturation as detected by pulse oximetry. This case report provides another example of the early warning potential of pulse oximetry.
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Conventional lateral radiography was used in 18 elderly male patients to investigate the changes induced by general anaesthesia in the upper airway. The effect of tongue traction under anaesthesia was studied similarly in another 11 patients. ⋯ Traction on the tongue failed to clear the nasopharyngeal obstruction. Attempted inspiration under anaesthesia caused major secondary collapse of the pharynx, with multiple sites of obstruction, similar to that found in obstructive sleep apnoea.