A&A practice
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Case Reports
Awake Craniotomy in a Patient With History of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder-A Clinical Dilemma: A Case Report.
A 32-year-old man undergoing awake craniotomy for tumor resection was previously diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-typically a relative contraindication for awake craniotomy. Preoperative neurocognitive assessment and counseling by a neuroanesthesiologist and neuropsychologist were undertaken to characterize his PTSD, identify triggers, and prepare him for the intraoperative events. ⋯ With an emphasis on open communication, the patient tolerated the awake craniotomy without complications. This case highlights the importance of multidisciplinary approach and meticulous perioperative preparation in successfully managing a patient who might otherwise be contraindicated for awake craniotomy.
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Case Reports
"Choledochoscope" as an Important Addition in Difficult Airway Management: A Case Report.
The choledochoscope is an additional tool to manage a difficult airway. We successfully used it for the first time for awake nasal intubation in a patient with no mouth opening resulting from bilateral temporomandibular ankylosis. ⋯ However, the shorter length and larger diameter of the choledochoscope in comparison with the fiberoptic bronchoscope are crucial limiting factors of this method. We, therefore, suggest considering a choledochoscope for intubation in patients with difficult airway as a second-line alternative when a fiberoptic bronchoscope is not available.
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Ventilation during microlaryngoscopy previously included jet ventilation, microlaryngeal endotracheal tubes, and extended apnea. Historically, apneic oxygenation provided a tubeless field but limited operative time. ⋯ Although few studies have described high-flow nasal cannula for microlaryngoscopy, there remains much to be explored. In this case report, we describe the unique setting of utilizing high-flow nasal cannula in a spontaneously breathing patient to create an optimal tubeless surgical field for both microlaryngoscopy and vocal cord electromyography.
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Positive airway pressure (PAP) adherence in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) remains low despite known benefits. The postoperative inpatient period may represent a unique opportunity to address technical issues and promote self-efficacy, 2 important factors determining adherence, which may result in patients' seeking outpatient sleep medicine follow-up. We report our experience in developing a perioperative multidisciplinary intervention of reintroducing PAP therapy to nonadherent OSA patients with the intent of motivating patients to return to their outpatient sleep medicine clinics.
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Case Reports
Misinterpretation and Limitations of pEEG Monitoring During Multimodal General Anesthesia: A Case Report.
The adequate titration of hypnotic agents can be achieved using processed electroencephalogram (pEEG) monitors. pEEG monitors with a spectrogram, such as bilateral bispectral index (BIS), are useful because they can show different signatures that suggest the effect of a given drug on brain activity. Multimodal general anesthesia is based on a combination of hypnotic and antinociceptive agents. We report a case of awareness in a patient monitored with bilateral BIS during multimodal general anesthesia. This case illustrates the limitations of the index and the value of the spectrogram in the assessment of hypnosis.