Masui. The Japanese journal of anesthesiology
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More than one hundred years have passed since Bier first succeeded in spinal anesthesia. Spinal anesthesia now spreads all over the world because it has many advantages. Spinal anesthesia requires both a simple technique and a small volume of drug, produces profound analgesia, and is devoid of systemic pharmacologic side effects. ⋯ Those include cardiac arrest, meningitis, intracranial subdural hematoma, spinal epidural hematoma and cauda equina syndrome. Patients should be informed in detail of the incidence, severity, and outcome of these complications, especially when alternative analgesic methods can be chosen. The prediction, early detection and prompt start of the treatment of the complications after spinal anesthesia are important to minimize the risk of adverse outcome.
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Review Case Reports
[Risk management in regional anesthesia: current trends in medical professional liability insurance].
This article aims to highlight current trends in medical professional liability insurance. We present two cases of the lawsuit associated with regional anesthesia. ⋯ To avoid malpractice risks, it is important to fully understand the risks of this clinical role and how to protect yourself from potential lawsuits. Every anesthesiologist should feel obliged to pay attention to legal questions concerning medical subjects, though judgments on the contents and the extent of the informationthat must be given to patients are complex and difficult to understand for anybody not experienced in law.
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Review Case Reports
[Fever in non-neurological critically ill patients; friends or foe?].
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A 77-year-old man underwent esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. Chest radiograph just after the operation showed opacification of the right lung. Although chest radiograph still showed a marked opacification of almost whole right lung in the ICU in spite of multiple bronchoscopy examination and suctioning of pulmonary secretions, he showed no dyspnea. ⋯ Accordingly, stapled lobectomy was performed. After the second surgery, he fortunately recovered without any complications. Although lung torsion is a rare complication, not only thoracic surgeons, but also we, anesthesiologists, should be aware of this disease.