A&A practice
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We present a patient with sudden cardiovascular collapse during cesarean delivery that was attributed to amniotic fluid embolism (AFE). The syndrome of AFE may be initiated by an anaphylactoid response to amniotic fluid in the maternal circulation that triggers the release of pulmonary vasoconstrictors, with transient pulmonary vasospasm, causing hemodynamic collapse and profound left ventricular failure. Milrinone, a pulmonary vasodilator used in the management of emergent right ventricular failure, was administered via a nebulizer in an effort to decrease pulmonary vascular resistance. If used immediately after AFE, inhaled milrinone may mitigate pulmonary vasoconstriction, providing a bridge to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
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Iatrogenic aortic injury is a rare but potentially lethal complication of cardiac surgery. While sometimes resulting in aortic dissection or intramural hematoma, injury more frequently results in subadventitial hematoma, a more benign pathology. ⋯ Epiaortic ultrasound was subsequently performed, which definitively demonstrated the absence of a dissection flap or extraluminal flow. Per our review, this is the first report documenting the successful use of epiaortic imaging to identify subadventitial hematoma in the setting of inconclusive TEE findings.
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The inadvertent crossover between O2 and N2O pipelines has become extremely rare in practice. We describe a case where it was possible to ventilate with 100% N2O instead of the intended 100% O2 on a modern anesthesia delivery system (Dräger Apollo; Drägerwerk AG & Co KgaA, Lübeck, Germany). This was the result of the incorrect assembly of diameter index safety system (DISS) components during preventative maintenance that defeated the DISS failsafe system. To make incorrect assembly easier to avoid, DISS component labeling could be more prominent and color-coded, or the internal construction of the gas manifold could incorporate DISS.
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Epstein syndrome is a myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9)-related disorder characterized by hearing loss and macrothrombocytopenia with renal failure, which usually requires platelet transfusion during surgery. We report the case of a 22-year-old man who underwent living-donor renal transplantation without platelet transfusion using rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) monitoring. ⋯ However, his extrinsic pathway evaluations by ROTEM were normal. The estimated blood loss during the operation was 150 mL, and the patient showed no bleeding complications without platelet transfusion.
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Retracted Publication
Nerve Blocks for Postoperative Pain Management in Children Receiving a Subcutaneous Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator: A Case Series.
Subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (S-ICD) placement causes significant postoperative pain. Limited research exists on nerve blocks for treating pediatric S-ICD pain. This case series presents pain outcomes in 10 children receiving nerve blocks for S-ICD placement. ⋯ The predominant combination of bilateral parasternal blocks with a left ESP block seemed to contribute toward adequate pain control. These children appeared to have low pain scores, low opioid consumption, and no block complications. Nerve blocks may benefit pediatric patients after S-ICD implantation.