Lobar collapse in the surgical intensive care unit

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Abstract
The chest X rays of 200 consecutive patients in the surgical Intensive Care Unit were reviewed. Cases (18) of lobar collapse were diagnosed in 17 patients (8.5%) with a high degree of certainty. Most cases involved the left lower lobe (12/18, 66%), but collapse of the right lower lobe (4/18, 22%) and the right upper lobe (2/18, 11%) was also noted. Although theories have been postulated to account for the high incidence of left lower lobe collapse following cardiac surgery, the predominance of left lower lobe collpase generally among ICU [Intensive Care Unit] patients is not fully explained.