A&A practice
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The Ventrain is a small, manually operated, single-use, inspiratory flow-adjustable ventilation device that generates positive pressure during inspiration and, through a Bernoulli effect within the device, active suction during expiration. It was designed to provide emergency ventilation during airway obstruction via narrow-bore cannulae. ⋯ It remains to be seen if its theoretical advantages in "can't intubate, can't oxygenate" (CICO) scenarios translate to reliable clinical benefit and allow inclusion in future airway algorithms. We advocate for regular simulation training and the detailed reporting of clinical experience with this encouraging new tool.
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We present the case of a 51-year-old man with a history of recurrent lung cancer after left upper lobectomy who presented for an elective completion pneumonectomy via a bilateral anterior thoracotomy incision. At the completion of surgery, bilateral multilevel intercostal infiltration was performed with liposomal bupivacaine. ⋯ An opioid-only infusion was started and transitioned to a local anesthetic-based infusion on postoperative day 2. This case report represents a novel stepwise approach of thoracic epidural management after surgical infiltration of liposomal bupivacaine.
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Hyperthyroidism during pregnancy is a relatively rare event, but poor control of hyperthyroidism during pregnancy is associated with a host of issues. These include intrauterine fetal demise, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, preterm delivery, low birth weight, intrauterine growth restriction, and maternal congestive heart failure. ⋯ Patients who develop thyroid storm present several challenges to anesthesiologists including hemodynamic instability and medication management. Here, we present the anesthetic management for a parturient whose delivery was complicated by signs and symptoms consistent with thyroid storm.