Obstetrics and gynecology
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A case is reported of fatal recurrent unilateral reexpansion pulmonary edema following thoracentesis in a woman with stage IV ovarian adenocarcinoma. Reexpansion pulmonary edema is a rare complication resulting from reexpansion of a collapsed lung after treatment of pleural effusion, pneumothorax, or atelectasis. The etiology is unknown, and there are no guaranteed measures of prevention. ⋯ Depending on the severity of the clinical symptoms, treatment varies from monitoring with serial chest x-rays to mechanical ventilation. Reexpansion pulmonary edema is fatal in 20% of cases. Gynecologists should be aware of this rare entity because it may require immediate diagnosis and aggressive treatment.
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Obstetrics and gynecology · Sep 1989
Case ReportsBacterial meningitis following epidural anesthesia for vaginal delivery: a case report.
Acute bacterial meningitis following epidural anesthesia is a rare event. We describe a case in which a young woman received epidural anesthesia for vaginal delivery. The initial attempt at placement of the epidural resulted in entry into the subarachnoid space. ⋯ The diagnosis of acute bacterial meningitis was made on postpartum day 3. Contamination of the subarachnoid space may have occurred at the time of the inadvertent spinal tap or via the epidural blood patch. Alternatively, this contamination may have occurred during a spontaneous bacteremic episode, as Streptococcus sanguis is a mouth organism commonly involved in dental caries.
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Obstetrics and gynecology · Sep 1989
ReviewPulse oximetry: a review of the theory, accuracy, and clinical applications.
Pulse oximetry has emerged as a clinical tool in anesthesia and newborn monitoring within the last 7 years as a result of recent technological and theoretical advances. Oximeters measure the different absorption spectra of oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin. Electronic measures of oxygenation at the peak of the pulse allow computation and display of oxygen saturation of the arterial blood almost instantly. ⋯ Factors adversely affecting the accuracy of pulse oximeter output include transducer movement, peripheral vasoconstriction, a nonpulsating vascular bed, hypotension, anemia, changes in systemic vascular resistance, hypothermia, presence of intravascular dyes, and nail polish. Pulse oximetry has been used to monitor oxygen saturation intraoperatively in the adult and neonatal intensive care units and to monitor pregnant patients and their infants at delivery. Once the advantages and limitations of pulse oximetry are recognized, this monitoring technique can play an important role in the care of patients with cardiovascular and respiratory compromise.
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Obstetrics and gynecology · Sep 1989
Case ReportsMaternal brain death and prolonged fetal survival.
A 30-year-old woman suffered massive brain injuries after a motor vehicle accident at 15 weeks' gestation. The patient was diagnosed as brain-dead on her tenth hospital day. ⋯ The child is developing normally at 11 months of age. This represents the longest reported case of prolongation of pregnancy after brain death.
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Obstetrics and gynecology · Sep 1989
Case ReportsCardiac output measurements during and after triplet gestation.
In a gravida with a triplet gestation complicated by fainting attacks and transient episodes of apparently positional hypotension, cardiac output was measured noninvasively to determine the optimal posture during cesarean section. Before delivery, cardiac output and mean arterial pressure were highest in the left semilateral position and lowest in the right semilateral posture. ⋯ Twenty-four and 48 hours later, the values were almost identical in all three positions. Noninvasive cardiac output monitoring provided a simple method of detecting the occurrence and severity of caval compression and of determining the optimal position of the gravida during cesarean section.