A&A practice
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Spontaneous intracranial hypotension is an uncommon disorder with symptoms including postural headache that can be debilitating to patients. Diagnosis is mainly clinical, aided by imaging of the brain and spine with or without diagnostic procedures. ⋯ We describe a case of a patient with clinical findings of spontaneous intracranial hypotension but with normal brain imaging. The patient responded to lumbar epidural blood patches and did not require additional tests to confirm the diagnosis.
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Review Case Reports
Dexmedetomidine-Induced Massive Diuresis in a Patient Undergoing Spinal Fusion Surgery: A Case Report and Synthesis of the Literature.
Dexmedetomidine is an α2-adrenergic sedative-hypnotic medication used as an adjunct to general anesthesia. While experimental studies in animals have demonstrated a mild diuretic effect of dexmedetomidine, only recently have case reports described dexmedetomidine-induced diuresis in humans. ⋯ Here, we report a case of a 30-year-old woman undergoing cervical spinal fusion surgery who experienced a massive diuresis starting 30 minutes after receiving dexmedetomidine intravenous infusion. We discuss the differential diagnosis and synthesize the current literature on this rare effect.
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Airway management remains a challenge in children, and the presence of a cleft palate further complicates the scenario. Endotracheal intubation, although definitive and most preferred, may be avoided for certain short-duration procedures wherein the use of laryngeal mask airway can allow quicker emergence. We present the successful airway management of 2 pediatric patients with cleft palate undergoing ophthalmological surgery, using AMBU® LMA® as the airway device of choice, which was further used as a rescue airway device in an emergent situation of "difficult to ventilate."
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Review Case Reports
Kratom and General Anesthesia: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.
Kratom is a botanical substance derived from the Mitragyna speciosa plant, which grows naturally in Southeast Asia. Its active compounds include alkaloids with psychoactive and opioid properties. ⋯ Both the US Food and Drug Administration and the Drug Enforcement Agency warn against the use of kratom. Here is the first reported case of an anesthetic in a patient using kratom for chronic pain.
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We present a case of a 73-year-old cancer patient with low transcutaneous oxygen saturation who was transferred to the intensive care unit after deployment of the rapid response team. Differential diagnosis remained broad until methemoglobinemia (MetHb) was detected. ⋯ Diagnosis was made by either measuring arterial MetHb or CO oximeter. Treatment options involve transfusion and methylene blue, if glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency is not present.