Essential Site Maintenance: Authorea-powered sites will be updated circa 15:00-17:00 Eastern on Tuesday 5 November.
There should be no interruption to normal services, but please contact us at [email protected] in case you face any issues.

loading page

Whole Pulmonary Lavage: Treating Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis At The Time of COVID Pandemic
  • +3
  • Katherine Powers,
  • Vasanthi Avadhanula,
  • Purvesh Patel,
  • Pralay Sarkar,
  • Pedro Piedra,
  • Neda Zarrin-Khameh
Katherine Powers
Baylor College of Medicine Department of Medicine
Author Profile
Vasanthi Avadhanula
Baylor College of Medicine
Author Profile
Purvesh Patel
Baylor College of Medicine Department of Medicine
Author Profile
Pralay Sarkar
Baylor College of Medicine Department of Medicine
Author Profile
Pedro Piedra
Baylor College of Medicine
Author Profile
Neda Zarrin-Khameh
Baylor College of Medicine Department of Medicine

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

Author Profile

Abstract

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a rare syndrome due to increased production or decreased clearance of surfactant in alveoli and terminal bronchi that cause hypoxemic respiratory insufficiency. Here we present a patient with past medical history of PAP whose disease was exacerbated by superimposed COVID-19 pneumonia. He underwent whole pulmonary lavage (WPL). Evaluation of the viral count of the first and the last lavage of the left lung showed viral load in the alveolar space dropped by approximately 10-folds, however the magnitude of the viral load was substantial in both lavage samples. Whole pulmonary lavage may be used as a treatment option on patients with COVID pneumonia superimposed on a pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) exacerbation.