Lobar collapse in the surgical intensive care unit

The chest X rays of 200 consecutive patients in the surgical Intensive Care Unit were reviewed. Eighteen cases 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 collapse generally amongst ICU patients is not fully explained.