Case report: Intrapulmonary tidal volumes in a preterm infant with chest wall rigidity.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Chest wall rigidity is a known side effect of fentanyl use, which is why fentanyl is usually combined with a muscle relaxant such as mivacurium. Verifying endotracheal intubation is difficult in case of a rigid chest wall.

Case presentation

We present the case of a preterm infant (29 completed weeks gestation, birth weight 1,150 g) with a prolonged chest wall rigidity after fentanyl administration for intubation despite adequate doses of mivacurium. This resulted in a pronounced desaturation without any effect on heart rate. Clinically, the infant showed no chest wall movement despite intubation and common tools to verify intubation (including end-tidal carbon dioxide measurement and auscultation) were inconclusive. However, using electrical impedance tomography (

SUBMITTER: Gaertner VD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9447901 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature