Negative pressure pulmonary edema is a potentially life-threatening condition that may occur when a large negative intrathoracic pressure is generated against a 'physically' obstructed upper airway during emergence from anesthesia. We report a 35 year old male patient who is morbidly obese and undergoing laparoscopic gastric bypass who developed negative pressure pulmonary edema without any evi...

The oral cavity and pharynx are anatomically separate but functionally integrated regions of the head. The two regions are involved in complex motor responses that include feeding, chewing, swallowing, speech, and respiration. The multiple sensory receptors that innervate these two regions provide the first link in reflexes that control muscles of the entire head, upper gastrointestinal tract, ...

The purpose of this paper has been to explore the relationship between upper airway obstruction and craniofacial growth. A review of the literature and of a preliminary study by the author in collaboration with investigators at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh indicate both the spectrum of skeletal and dental configurations which are associated with upper airway obstruction and the signifi...

The oral cavity and pharynx are anatomically separate but functionally integrated regions of the head. The two regions are involved in complex motor responses that include feeding, chewing, swallowing, speech, and respiration. The multiple sensory receptors that innervate these two regions provide the first link in reflexes that control muscles of the entire head, upper gastrointestinal tract, ...

Nasopharyngeal encephalocele is a rare, benign congenital anomaly. It has the potential to be fatal due to airway obstruction. Here, we report on a 34-day-old infant with pneumonia who underwent mechanical ventilation. An upper airway evaluation was performed due to prolonged intubation, and revealed the presence of a nasopharyngeal encephalocele. The patient tolerated extubation and oral feedi...

A non-surgical technique for the treatment of upper airway obstruction in oculoauriculovertebral dysplasia using an intra-oral orthopaedic appliance is described, which resulted in respiratory and feeding problems being solved without side-effects. This non-invasive management might also be of major benefit in the treatment of airway obstruction associated with Pierre Robin sequence, mandibular...

Oral appliance therapy is emerging as an alternative to continuous positive airway pressure for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, its precise mechanisms of action are yet to be defined. We examined the effect of a mandibular advancement splint (MAS) on upper airway collapsibility during sleep in OSA. Ten patients with proven OSA had a custom-made MAS incrementally adjuste...

introduction: hypertrophied tonsils and adenoids may cause upper airway obstruction and cardio-pulmonary complications due to pulmonary arterial hypertension. the aim of this study was to determine the correlation between mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mpap) and selected adenotonsilar hypertrophy indexes. materials and methods: thirty two patients with upper-airway obstruction resulting from...

Alcohol and benzodiazepines may increase sleep-disordered breathing by decreasing activity of pharyngeal dilating muscles, favoring the development of obstructive apneas and hypopneas. Narcotics cause greater depression of wakeful respiration than the previously mentioned drugs; however, the influence of narcotics on the upper airway and breathing during sleep has not been studied. We, therefor...