A & A case reports
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Multiple factors may contribute to the development of emergence delirium in a child. We present the case of a healthy 12-year-old girl who received preoperative midazolam with the desired anxiolytic effect, underwent a brief general anesthetic, and then exhibited postoperative delirium, consisting of a transient associative agnosia and expressive aphasia. Administration of flumazenil led to immediate and lasting resolution of her symptoms. We hypothesize that γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor-mediated effects, most likely related to an atypical offset of midazolam, are an important subset of emergence delirium that is amenable to pharmacologic therapy with flumazenil.
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Acute bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve injury leading to acute vocal cord paralysis (VCP) is a serious complication of head and neck surgery, often requiring emergent surgical intervention. Although well documented, its presentation may be sudden and unexpected, occurring despite lack of obvious intraoperative nerve injury. ⋯ We report a case of acute VCP that was successfully treated with continuous positive airway pressure via facemask ventilation. This effective temporizing strategy allowed clinicians to plan and prepare for tracheostomy, minimizing potential complications.
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The management of life-threatening bleeding associated with rivaroxaban remains a challenge for physicians due to the lack of evidence about clinically effective options for anticoagulation reversal. We report a favorable outcome in a patient receiving rivaroxaban prophylaxis, who developed a spontaneous subdural hematoma treated by a surgical evacuation and administration of 4-factor prothrombin complex concentrate. ⋯ Reversal with prothrombin complex concentrates improved all thrombin generation measures. Thrombin generation tests may be suitable for assessing the clinical utility of reversal drugs on rivaroxaban-induced coagulopathy.
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The duration and extent of acute hemodilution that the human body can withstand remains unclear. Many consider 184 mL/m/min to be the oxygen delivery (DO2) threshold below which oxygen consumption (VO2) begins to decrease. ⋯ This case challenges the currently accepted critical DO2 threshold and highlights the need for a comprehensive approach to increase DO2 and decrease VO2 for best patient outcomes. Minimizing VO2, which is usually underemphasized in current clinical practice, probably played an important role in the survival of this patient.