Lobectomy for cavitating lung abscess with haemoptysis: strategy for protecting the contralateral lung and also the non-involved lobe of the ipsilateral lung.

We describe the anaesthetic management of a patient undergoing lobectomy for cavitating lung abscess complicated by haemoptysis. Surgery for lung abscess is one of the absolute indications for the use of a double-lumen tube (DLT). Because pus or blood could impede fibreoptic-assisted DLT placement, a traditional, blind placement of the DLT was performed. To protect the uninvolved parts of the operated lung, ventilation of the lung with the abscess was not performed until the resection of the involved lobe had been completed.