A&A practice
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Postdural puncture headache (PDPH) is a complication of dural puncture. An epidural blood patch (EBP) is the standard treatment; however, when EBP fails, alternative treatments and/or diagnoses must be considered. We present a case of orthostatic headache initially diagnosed as PDPH but likely due to spontaneous intracranial hypotension. It is imperative for anesthesiologists, as members of an interdisciplinary peripartum team, to be familiar with the evaluation and treatment of postpartum headache and recognize when further workup and consultation may be indicated.
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We present a patient with sudden cardiovascular collapse during cesarean delivery that was attributed to amniotic fluid embolism (AFE). The syndrome of AFE may be initiated by an anaphylactoid response to amniotic fluid in the maternal circulation that triggers the release of pulmonary vasoconstrictors, with transient pulmonary vasospasm, causing hemodynamic collapse and profound left ventricular failure. Milrinone, a pulmonary vasodilator used in the management of emergent right ventricular failure, was administered via a nebulizer in an effort to decrease pulmonary vascular resistance. If used immediately after AFE, inhaled milrinone may mitigate pulmonary vasoconstriction, providing a bridge to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
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Case Reports
Ultrasound-Guided Hydrodissection for Baxter's Neuropathy Secondary to Plantar Fasciitis: A Case Report.
Plantar heel pain is a common pain condition encountered in clinical practice. The common etiologies include plantar fasciitis, calcaneal spur, calcaneus stress fracture, systemic causes, and trauma. ⋯ In this case report, we describe a patient with severe heel pain, presenting with overlapping features of plantar fasciitis and neuropathic pain. Magnetic resonance imaging suggested Baxter's nerve entrapment, and a subsequent ultrasound-guided hydrodissection of Baxter's nerve provided long-lasting pain relief.
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Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a minimally invasive procedure used for a broad spectrum of chronic pain conditions. Unfortunately, complications can occur that may lead to device explantation. ⋯ To our knowledge, salvage therapy with high-frequency SCS for LoE with burst SCS has not been previously described. We present a case of salvage therapy utilizing 10 kHz SCS for LoE with a passive recharge burst SCS.
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Iatrogenic aortic injury is a rare but potentially lethal complication of cardiac surgery. While sometimes resulting in aortic dissection or intramural hematoma, injury more frequently results in subadventitial hematoma, a more benign pathology. ⋯ Epiaortic ultrasound was subsequently performed, which definitively demonstrated the absence of a dissection flap or extraluminal flow. Per our review, this is the first report documenting the successful use of epiaortic imaging to identify subadventitial hematoma in the setting of inconclusive TEE findings.