Journal of clinical anesthesia
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Case Reports
Nasotracheal intubation in a child with Treacher Collins syndrome using the Bullard intubating laryngoscope.
Tracheal intubation may be difficult or impossible in children with Treacher Collins syndrome. Nasotracheal intubation may be required for appropriate repair of cleft palate in these patients. This report describes the use of the Bullard intubating laryngoscope to facilitate nasotracheal intubation in a child with severe mandibulofacial dysplasia.
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The LMA has been commercially available since 1988, and in the United States since 1992. The device combines several advantages of endotracheal tubes and face masks and may be used in many situations where either device was previously used routinely. ⋯ Although not suitable for all patients and procedures, the LMA has become widely used in all other countries where it is available. Many of the surgical procedures for which the LMA is most suited are performed in outpatients, and we expect this device will soon become popular in carefully selected cases in this country.
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Recent pharmacologic and technologic advances in anesthesia and surgery allow outpatients with complex medical problems to undergo a wide variety of diagnostic and surgical procedures on an ambulatory basis. Increasingly, however, anesthesia practitioners, as well as pharmacy and therapeutic committees, are demanding proof that a new, more costly drug or medical device is superior to existing products in achieving its desired effect, is associated with fewer adverse effects, enhances efficiency, and reduces health care costs. The new field of pharmacoeconomics has emphasized the importance of cost-effectiveness analyses that consider both direct and indirect costs of newer drugs and therapeutic modalities. ⋯ Ambulatory anesthesia and surgery will continue to increase because of the potential cost savings for patients undergoing elective operations on an outpatient basis. However, the challenge we face will be to continue to provide high-quality anesthesia care at a reduced cost. A careful examination of commonly accepted (but unproven) clinical practice patterns will be necessary to meet this challenge.
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Case Reports
Diagnosis of a left-sided superior vena cava during placement of a pulmonary artery catheter.
We report a case of a left sided superior vena cava (SVC) that was diagnosed during placement of a pulmonary artery (PA) catheter. After entering the left internal jugular, the PA catheter passed into the left side of the heart, through the aortic valve, and into the aorta. ⋯ The embryology and physiology of a left sided SVC is reviewed, including an historical perspective. A discussion of the variants of the syndrome is included, as is a review of aberrant placement of central venous catheters.