A&A practice
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Case Reports
Decreased Cerebral Perfusion Under Anesthesia During Radiation Treatment: A Case Report.
Radiation therapy allows patients to receive focused radiation to a tumor. Some patients require anesthesia for their daily treatments. For head and neck tumors, a thermoplastic mask is created to minimize movement. ⋯ This led to cerebral hypoxia. Cerebral oximetry confirmed this diagnosis, and the patient's mask was refitted-remaining anesthetics were uneventful. Mask fitness should be reassessed during the treatment series.
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Case Reports
Anesthetic Management of a Patient With S-Adenosylhomocysteine Hydrolase Deficiency: A Case Report.
S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase (AHCY) deficiency is a rare congenital disorder in methionine metabolism with minimal guidelines regarding anesthetic management. This case report describes a 19-year-old man presenting for a liver biopsy in interventional radiology due to a history of elevated aminotransferases and creatine kinase. He received dextrose-containing fluids and a total intravenous anesthetic to avoid rhabdomyolysis and hyperkalemia. Anesthetic goals for patients with AHCY deficiency should focus on avoiding rhabdomyolysis, minimizing postoperative ventilatory compromise, monitoring for potential coagulopathy, and providing anxiolysis.
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Case Reports
Asymptomatic Penetration of the Median Nerve by a Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter: A Case Report.
We report a rare case in which a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) asymptomatically penetrated the median nerve. The patient was a 71-year-old man who displayed no neurological symptoms until 4 days after PICC placement. ⋯ When placing a PICC, selecting the brachial vein as a puncture site is associated with a high risk of nerve injury. Furthermore, circumspect observation is needed until withdrawal as neurological symptoms may be absent even when the catheter has punctured a nerve.
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Case Reports
Lidocaine Infusion for the Treatment of Headache Associated With Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Case Report.
Headache after subarachnoid hemorrhage and corresponding craniotomy with aneurysm clipping can be severe and difficult to treat. Currently accepted analgesic therapies are often ineffective at treating the pain without incurring unacceptable side effects. ⋯ Opioid consumption fell to zero for both patients during lidocaine infusions without lidocaine toxicity. Moreover, after discontinuation of lidocaine infusions, both patients reported good pain control using only standard oral medications.
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Case Reports
Bilateral Sphenopalatine Ganglion Block With Liposomal Bupivacaine Followed by Severe Hypertension: A Case Report.
We reviewed a case of bilateral sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) blockade with liposomal bupivacaine for sinus surgery. The case was complicated by severe postoperative hypertension refractory to antihypertensives and needing intensive care unit (ICU) admission. ⋯ We discuss how local anesthetic spread beyond the SPG may have caused prolonged parasympathetic blockade and hypertension. Before approved indications are established, we recommend avoiding the use of liposomal bupivacaine in off-label settings when the function of bilateral autonomic structures could be affected.