A & A case reports
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Transnasal humidified rapid-insufflation ventilatory exchange (THRIVE) is a novel airway technique that utilizes high-flow humidified nasal oxygen. It can extend apnea time and maintain oxygen saturation. ⋯ Intravenous sedation resulted in hypoventilation close to apnea. THRIVE maintained oxygen saturation for 40 minutes until transient desaturation developed after complete airway obstruction.
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A 42-year-old obese woman (body mass index = 30.2 kg/m) presented for urgent anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion. She had been taking oral naltrexone-bupropion extended-release (Contrave, Orexigen Therapeutics Inc, La Jolla, CA) for the past 6 months and continued using it until 12 hours preoperatively. Despite discontinuation of this medication, and employing an intraoperative and postoperative multimodal analgesia strategy, immediate pain control was inadequately achieved. Patients taking opioid antagonists who present for surgery pose unique challenges to the anesthesiologist and require extensive preoperative interdisciplinary discussions and planning for pain control throughout the perioperative period.
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Percutaneous valve-in-valve therapy is a life-saving procedure for patients at high risk of reoperation due to dysfunctional bioprosthetic valves. We have reviewed 3 typical cases of a valve-in-valve procedure using high-quality images to demonstrate the suitability of this method for aortic, mitral, and tricuspid positions. Three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography combined with other modalities such as computerized tomography and fluoroscopy are key elements for anesthesia and procedural guidance, especially as immediate tools to assess valvular function and specific procedure-related complications.
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Cardiogenic shock from acute severe mitral valve regurgitation can cause acute liver failure due to hypoperfusion. Impaired liver glycogenesis can then lead to profound hypoglycemia. ⋯ Thus, the clinical decision to provide further resuscitation in the setting of extreme hypoglycemia mainly depends on the patient's overall clinical condition, provider opinion, and/or institutional practice. Here, we report a case where the patient made complete neurologic recovery from extreme hypoglycemia (<5 mg/dL by central laboratory testing) secondary to acute cardiogenic shock and liver failure.