A & A case reports
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Case Reports
Use of 23.4% Saline in Symptomatic Vasospasm and Cushing's Triad to Prevent Herniation and Death: A Case Report.
A 53-year-old woman with migraines presented with Hunt-Hess grade 5 and Fisher grade 4 subarachnoid hemorrhage with intraventricular hemorrhage. She experienced severe vasospasm requiring intra-arterial medications. Continued vasospasm and edema resulted in Cushing's triad with profound tachypnea. ⋯ Despite the general practice to wait until complete neurologic deterioration before administering 23.4% saline, it was administered on 2 separate occasions, once after the failure of the 2 boluses of 3% saline and once on the reappearance of Cushing's triad 24 hours later, and on each occasion produced overall clinical improvement. The patient was subsequently discharged to a rehabilitation facility and then home. A paradigm shift to earlier intervention with 23.4% saline may improve overall outcomes in patients with severe intracranial hypertension refractory to 3% saline and impending herniation.
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Transnasal humidified rapid-insufflation ventilatory exchange (THRIVE) is a novel airway technique that utilizes high-flow humidified nasal oxygen. It can extend apnea time and maintain oxygen saturation. ⋯ Intravenous sedation resulted in hypoventilation close to apnea. THRIVE maintained oxygen saturation for 40 minutes until transient desaturation developed after complete airway obstruction.