Respiratory Failure Secondary to Long-Standing Diaphragmatic Hernia Corrected with Noninvasive Ventilation - Abstract
A diaphragmatic hernia is a defect in the diaphragm that allows the passage of the abdominal contents into the chest cavity. This pathological entity produces alterations in ventilatory mechanics, leading to respiratory failure, decreased lung volumes and impaired ventilation-perfusion ratio. We report a 63-year-old man with a history of hydatid cyst located at the left diaphragm operated 30 years ago, who presented acute respiratory failure and severe respiratory acidosis and hypercapnic encephalopathy in the context of a restrictive ventilatory disorder secondary to a diaphragmatic hernia. Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) treatment was effective, with correction of acidosis and disappearance of encephalopathic syndrome. The NIV is an essential treatment in these patients prior to surgery, in order to optimize lung function preoperatively, and a fundamental treatment in patients in whom surgical option is not considered.