The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Vol 49, 661-663, Copyright © 1990 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Management of major tracheal hemorrhage after repair of complex congenital heart defects
E Snir, A Carotti and J Stark
Hospital for Sick Children, London, England.
Two patients with complex congenital heart defects (a 4-year-old with
transposition of the great arteries, ventricular septal defect, and left
ventricular outflow tract obstruction and a 3 1/2-year-old with
double-outlet right ventricle, subpulmonary stenosis, and complete
atrio-ventricular septal defect) suffered multiple major hemorrhages from
the tracheobronchial tree (28 and 7 bleeding events, respectively).
Successful management included tracheostomy, sedation and paralysis,
systemic hypotension, and systemic hypothermia for a period of seven days.
Both patients survived.