A & A case reports
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Case Reports
Ultrasound-guided continuous quadratus lumborum block for postoperative analgesia in a pediatric patient.
Quadratus lumborum block is a recently introduced variation of transversus abdominis plane block. In this report, we describe the use of ultrasound-guided continuous quadratus lumborum block for postoperative analgesia in a 7-year-old child scheduled to undergo radical nephrectomy (left-sided) for Wilms tumor. The result was excellent postoperative analgesia and minimal requirement for rescue analgesics. The modification described may allow easier placement of a catheter for continuous infusion of local anesthetic.
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Case Reports
Thoracic paravertebral catheter placement for acute rib pain in a pregnant patient with cystic fibrosis.
A 30-year-old woman with cystic fibrosis at 33 weeks, 4 days' gestation sustained a rib injury during an acute pulmonary exacerbation, resulting in noncompliance with her chest wall oscillation therapy and worsening of her respiratory status with concern for inducing labor early. Insertion of an ultrasound-guided thoracic paravertebral catheter produced immediate pain relief, eliminating the need for further opioids, and she was able to tolerate her chest wall oscillation treatment. She was discharged home after 7 days and was able to deliver a healthy baby at 38 weeks via spontaneous vaginal delivery.
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A 3-year-old male with isovaleric acidemia presented for dental rehabilitation under general anesthesia. In times of stress, such as in the perioperative period, patients with isovaleric acidemia are at greater risk for morbidity and mortality from disordered metabolism, including glucose disturbances, hyperammonemia, hypocalcemia, and non-anion gap metabolic acidosis. Communication between the anesthesiology, dental, and endocrine teams allowed for safe and successful care of the patient.
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Cushing syndrome may rarely present with life-threatening hypercortisolism, manifested by hypertension, hypokalemia, hyperglycemia, and edema. If medical treatment proves ineffective in ameliorating the symptoms, emergent rescue adrenalectomy may be the only way to relieve the crisis. We describe the anesthetic management of a patient with an ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone-secreting tumor, whose condition was rapidly deteriorating due to severe cortisol excess, and emergent adrenalectomy was the only available therapeutic modality. Despite severe metabolic derangement, edema, and incipient respiratory failure, emergent bilateral laparoscopic adrenalectomy was performed and the patient improved sufficiently to undergo surgery for the ectopic lesion without incident.