A & A case reports
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Case Reports
Polyethylene glycols (PEG) and related structures: overlooked allergens in the perioperative setting.
We describe hypersensitivity to polyethylene glycols (PEGs), with cross-reactivity to a structural analog, polysorbate 80, in a 69-year-old patient with perioperative anaphylaxis and subsequent, severe anaphylactic reactions to unrelated medical products. PEGs and PEG analogs are prevalent in the perioperative setting, contained in a wide range of products seldom suspected of causing hypersensitivity reactions and thus rarely documented in surgical/anesthetic records. We suggest routine testing for PEGs after perioperative anaphylaxis because exposure to these polymers often is significant. Comprehensive brand name documentation on the anesthetic chart of all product exposures is central to identifying the responsible allergen.
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Review Case Reports
General anesthesia for adults with mitochondrial myopathy.
We report the case of a 59-year-old woman with mitochondrial myopathy who underwent elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy and hemorrhoidectomy, and we review the literature discussing general anesthesia for adults with mitochondrial myopathy. Our management technique avoids neuromuscular-blocking drugs and uses a modified awake intubation method not previously described in such patients. We hope to improve patient safety by discussing evidence-based anesthetic concerns and complications specific to these uncommon patients and aid practitioners in devising a suitable anesthetic plan.
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Retrograde type A aortic dissection that arises immediately after open replacement of the thoracoabdominal aorta is a rare and potentially lethal complication that has only been reported twice previously. A 74-year-old man with a history of expanding Crawford type I thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm presented for open surgical repair. ⋯ Subsequently, emergent aortic arch repair was performed under deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. Early diagnosis with transesophageal echocardiography and optimal cerebral protection were instrumental in the successful outcome of this repair.