A&A practice
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Laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation in patients with unstable cervical spines may cause pathological spinal motion and resultant cord injury. Cadaver and mathematical (finite element) models of a type II odontoid fracture predict C1-C2 motions during intubation to be of low magnitude, especially with the use of a low-force videolaryngoscope. Using continuous fluoroscopy, we recorded C1-C2 motion during C-MAC D videolaryngoscopy and intubation in 2 patients with type II odontoid fractures. In these 2 patients, C1-C2 extension and change in C1-C2 canal space were comparable to motions predicted by cadaver and finite element models and did not cause neurological injury.
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Eye drops such as topical β-blockers are widely used to treat glaucoma and other ocular diseases. We provide an overview of ophthalmic solutions, including β-adrenergic receptor antagonists, for anesthesiologists and others involved in perioperative care. We summarize current evidence about systemic effects of topical β-blockers and other commonly used ophthalmic agents such as parasympathomimetic eye drops, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and emerging products such as combinations of multiple substances. We call for careful preoperative assessment and perioperative management of individuals using eye drops, especially critically ill patients, children, or those undergoing major surgery.
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Patients presenting for major vascular surgery are often elderly, medically complex, and at increased risk for general anesthesia-related complications. A search of the published literature produced no citation regarding PECS II block in the setting of extra-anatomic bypass procedures. We present a case report describing the use of the deep injection of the PECS II block in this context. Although further investigation is needed to determine the role of truncal blocks in major vascular surgery, our case illustrates that peripheral nerve blocks, combined with continuous spinal anesthesia, may be used as an alternative to general anesthesia for axillofemoral-femoral bypass.
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Cutaneomeningospinal angiomatosis, popularly known as Cobb syndrome, is a rare clinical disorder predominantly presenting with a vascular skin lesion and a spinal angioma at the same dermatomal level. Several case reports and case series have reported on the surgical management of this syndrome, but we failed to find any information about its anesthetic considerations in the Medline database. Our case report describes the perioperative anesthetic management of a 46-year-old man with Cobb syndrome.