Pulmonary atelectasis in dogs during general anesthesia

Pleural pressure is usually lower than pulmonary pressure. Therefore, the lungs tend to collapse and increase its distance from thoracic walls. At the beginning of 20(th) century, Pasteur described the pulmonary atelectasis, which develops during induction of anesthesia and persists to the postoperative period. It can contribute significantly to morbidity and to increase the medical expenses. In veterinary medicine, pulmonary atelectasis is not frequently diagnosed, which doesn't rule out the occurrence of this disease, since there are reports of atelectsasis in dogs. This pulmonary complication can be found in animals that breathe 80% to 100% oxygen in anesthetic procedures. Based on this information, the veterinary anesthesiologist is required to search for complementary knowledge regarding to pulmonary atelectasis. This study, therefore, aimed to describe some of the mechanisms involved in the development of atelectasis. It aimed also to familiarize the anesthesiologist to this not always well-understood physiological breathing change.