A&A practice
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Case Reports
Lung Ultrasound in Thoracic Surgery: Confirming Placement of a Pediatric Right Double-Lumen Tube.
In the recent decades, flexible bronchoscopy has replaced lung auscultation to confirm more precisely the placement of a double-lumen endotracheal tube (DLT) for thoracic surgery. However, bronchoscopes are costly and not always available. Lung ultrasound has been described in the literature as an alternative to confirm left DLT placement and lung isolation. In this case report, we describe a pediatric thoracic case in which lung ultrasound was utilized to confirm correct placement of a right-sided DLT.
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Case Reports
Perioperative Echocardiography to Confirm Correct Central Venous Catheter Placement: A Case Report.
Central venous catheterization is widely regarded as a safe procedure by anesthesiologists and intensivists, but insertion complications and catheter malposition remain challenges for the clinicians performing central venous catheter (CVC) insertion. We report a case in which a right internal jugular CVC was inserted under ultrasound guidance and was found to be malpositioned after sternotomy into an anomalous posterior thymic vein. Therefore, we recommend confirming the correct position of CVC with transesophageal echocardiography if such is indicated for the perioperative period and emphasize the importance of a correct J-tip of the guidewire when placing a CVC.
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Ambiguity in defining difficult intubation involving video laryngoscopy (VL) may pose potential risks to patients. To improve airway documentation practices, we surveyed anesthesia providers on their difficult intubation interpretations and VL use. ⋯ These results suggest that clinicians inconsistently interpret difficult intubations, especially in cases involving VL. There is a need for provider education and standardization of airway documentation, inclusive of VL.
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Case Reports
A Tale of 2 Tubes for Emergency Management of Airway Obstruction From an Anterior Mediastinal Mass: A Case Report.
Anterior mediastinal masses are challenging. As induction of general anesthesia may result in complete airway obstruction or hemodynamic collapse, maintaining spontaneous ventilation and advancing the endotracheal tube (ETT) distal to the mass are recommended. ⋯ Despite maintaining spontaneous ventilation, airway obstruction persisted following placement of the ETT proximal to the obstruction. After advancing the ETT into the right mainstem bronchus distal to the mass, hypoxemia persisted, prompting placement of a second ETT into the left mainstem bronchus to overcome the obstruction and provide adequate oxygenation.
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Dorsal root ganglion stimulation (DRG-S) has shown promise as a treatment for low back pain. The traditional anterograde placement of DRG-S leads can be challenging in patients with anatomical changes from prior back surgery. ⋯ At long-term follow-up, the patients experienced substantial pain relief and improvement in quality of life, with no complications. The outside-in lead placement technique may be an efficacious alternative to the traditional techniques in patients with anomalous anatomy from prior surgery.