A&A practice
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Clevidipine-induced pulmonary shunting is a little-reported adverse effect, manifesting as refractory hypoxemia, which may cause significant patient harm. We present the case of a mechanically ventilated patient admitted to the intensive care unit following a neurosurgical procedure. ⋯ The hypoxemia recovered within 1 hour of clevidipine discontinuation. Though other calcium channel blockers have been reported to cause pulmonary shunting from vasodilation, this is a novel case report for clevidipine-induced hypoxemia.
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Infiltration between popliteal artery and capsule of the knee (IPACK) is a novel technique that can provide additional analgesic relief, although there are no studies to date in the adolescent population. In 3 adolescent patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament surgery, IPACK block augmented continuous femoral nerve block by providing posterior knee analgesia with no or only minimal opioid needs in the post-anesthesia care unit and did not produce sciatic motor weakness.
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Case Reports
Another Role for Angiotensin II?: Vasopressin-Refractory Shock After Pheochromocytoma Resection: A Case Report.
A patient presented with multiple unrelated tumors and was found to have a small but functional adrenal pheochromocytoma. After pheochromocytoma resection, shock developed unresponsive to vasopressin in recommended doses (0.04 U/min infusion plus repeated 1-U boluses) but responded dramatically to an angiotensin II infusion (20 ng/kg/min) with a mean arterial pressure >100 mm Hg. The patient's blood pressure was maintained for 42 hours postoperatively with an infusion rate that ranged from 2 to 38 ng/kg/min. Because vasopressin may not always be effective for postresection shock in people with pheochromocytomas, angiotensin II may prove to be an effective alternative.
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Acupuncture studies have demonstrated varying effects on pediatric postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Unanswered questions include whether the type of therapy, number of points used, or timing of treatments vary the effect of acupuncture. We present a case series of intraoperative multipoint acupuncture treatments for high-risk pediatric patients. ⋯ Patients who received intraoperative acupunctur e reported no early phase PONV, and 3 patients (15.8%) reported late-phase PONV. One patient required postoperative antiemetics. Intraoperative multipoint acupuncture may be a safe and efficacious adjunct for PONV in high-risk pediatric patients.
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Despite an abundance of evidence, routine perioperative antifibrinolytics have been avoided in oncology patients due to concern of thrombosis when given to patients with a preexisting hypercoagulable state. We present a retrospective review of 104 patients with an oncologic diagnosis who received intraoperative tranexamic acid during orthopedic surgery. Overall, complication rates were low, including deep vein thrombosis (1.0%), pulmonary embolism (4.8%), stroke (0%), and myocardial infarction (0%). This preliminary evidence shows that antifibrinolytics such as tranexamic acid may be considered perioperatively in oncology patients without increased risk of thromboembolic events; however, further prospective trials are encouraged.