BMJ case reports
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Laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA) has been indicated as an effective device for airway management when face-mask ventilation and intubation have both failed in infants weighing >2000 g or delivered ≥34 weeks of gestation. All previous studies used a classic LMA. The current report describes the first case of a very low birthweight infant (1470 g, <3rd centile; 36(+3)gestational weeks) with micrognathia and palate cleft with Cornelia De Lange syndrome, resuscitated at birth with a new supraglottic airway device, i-gel size-1, positioned by a trainee paediatrician at first attempt. The procedure allowed reaching prompt effective ventilation and oxygenation of the patient, who was stabilised and intubated through i-gel.
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Although uterine inversion is a potentially life-threatening complication of childbirth, there are only six case reports of cardiac arrest due to acute inversion to date. We report a successful outcome in a patient with sickle cell disease who had a witnessed cardiac arrest due to acute puerperal uterine inversion. ⋯ She gradually recovered from the acute kidney injury that developed as sequelae of the cardiac arrest and subsequent circulatory shock. Awareness of this rare complication and timely intervention is the key to a successful outcome in these patients.
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Neonatal immune hyperthyroidism is a rare but potentially fatal condition. It occurs in 1-5% of infants born to women with Graves' disease (GD). In most of the cases it is due to maternal antibodies transferred from the mother into the fetal compartment, stimulating the fetal thyroid by binding thyrotropin (thyroid-stimulating hormone, TSH) receptor. We present a case of neonatal thyrotoxicosis due to maternal GD detected at 25 days of age and discuss the potential pitfalls in the diagnosis.
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Nausea and vomiting are the most common overlooked debilitating symptoms that significantly impact the quality of life and acute care we provide as physicians. The duo has an extensive aetiology ranging from common known causes to uncommon idiopathic reasons. ⋯ She was discharged twice from hospital after temporary symptom control with presumed diagnosis of diabetic gastroparesis. Her third hospital visit enabled us to identify the cause of her symptoms being Addison's crisis rather than gastroparesis.
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Overall survival for patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) has been consistently shown to improve when the surgeon achieves a gross total resection of the tumour. It has also been demonstrated that surgical adjuncts such as 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) fluorescence--which delineates malignant tumour tissue--normal brain tissue margin seen using violet-blue excitation under an operating microscope--helps achieve this. ⋯ This technique led to gross total resection of all T1-enhancing tumour with the avoidance of neurological deficit. The authors recommend this technique in patients when awake surgery can be tolerated and gross total resection is the aim of surgery.