RIYADH: In a single, about nine-hour session, a 10-year-old girl received a whole-lung lavage at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Riyadh. The patient’s blood oxygen saturation had dropped to 79% from the typical range of 95 to 100% due to a rare lung condition, which was treated with this technique.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, the girl was released five days later in stable condition and without any issues. Due to pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, an uncommon condition in which proteins and fats build up in the lungs’ air sacs and impede oxygen from effectively entering the bloodstream, she had experienced ongoing dyspnoea, extreme exhaustion, trouble walking, and weight loss.
She was now in need of constant supplemental oxygen due to the advanced stage of her disease. To maintain ventilation through one lung while the other was washed, the medical team used a specialized tube that allowed independent control of each lung. To remove the accumulated debris, the researchers gradually flushed the first lung with warm saline, draining and replenishing the fluid until it was nearly clear. The researchers then subjected the second lung to the same procedure. The girl’s breathing progressively improved while she was monitored in the paediatric intensive care unit after the treatment.
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