A&A practice
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We report kinking of the pilot line of an endotracheal tube (ETT). The anesthesiologist found it difficult to deflate the ETT cuff after performing test inflation with air before intubation. ⋯ This examination revealed stenosis of the pilot line at the entry into the ETT, making it too narrow for air to flow freely during cuff deflation. The present case emphasizes that preanesthetic checking of the ETT cuff is very important.
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Case Reports
Carotid Endarterectomy in a Patient With Type 2 Myocardial Infarction During Preparation for Surgery: A Case Report.
We present a patient who was admitted for carotid endarterectomy due to tight carotid stenosis and recent amaurosis fugax. His medical history included significant coronary artery disease with stable angina pectoris, hypertension with wide pulse pressure, chronic renal failure, and anemia. ⋯ The patient posed a serious clinical dilemma whether to continue with surgery despite the type 2 myocardial infarction or postpone the surgery. We discuss the diagnostic tests and the decision-making processes that guided us in the preoperative period.
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In this case, the novel use of high-flow nasal oxygen successfully treated severe hypoxia by delivering oxygen through a very narrow space between the bronchoscope and the tracheal wall. Removal of a foreign body from a child's lung can be associated with hypoxia and cardiorespiratory arrest. ⋯ This simultaneous use can compromise gas exchange, leading to hypoxia. In this case, high-flow nasal oxygen supplemented bronchoscope oxygenation to treat a severely hypoxic child and facilitate subsequent removal of a peanut without further incident.
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A patient with a base of tongue tumor was judged to be safe to intubate under general anesthesia, with a new flexible tip "bougie." This enabled rapid and easy navigation around the distorted anatomy caused by the tumor. The bougie's tip can be flexed or extended by activating a slide on the shaft and was intended for use with the hyperangulated blade of a videolaryngoscope.
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Intravenous lidocaine is increasingly being utilized as an opioid-sparing analgesic. A 55-year-old man with well-controlled human immunodeficiency virus on highly active antiretroviral therapy was prescribed a lidocaine infusion at 1 mg/kg/h for postoperative pain. On postoperative day 2, the patient experienced 4 unresponsive episodes with tachycardia, hypertension, and oxygen desaturation. ⋯ There is significant pharmacokinetic interaction between lidocaine and this patient's human immunodeficiency virus medications. This case highlights the need for a readily accessible list of medications that caution against lidocaine. We propose in-house serum lidocaine levels to monitor patients at an increased risk for toxicity.