A & A case reports
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Much waste arises from operating rooms (ORs). We estimated the practical and financial feasibility of an OR recycling program, weighing all waste from 6 ORs in Melbourne, Australia. Over 1 week, 237 operations produced 1265 kg in total: general waste 570 kg (45%), infectious waste 410 kg (32%), and recyclables 285 kg (23%). ⋯ The achieved recycling/potential recycling rate was 285 kg/517 kg (55%). The average waste disposal costs were similar for general waste and recycling. OR recycling rates of 20%-25% total waste were achievable without compromising infection control or financial constraints.
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Persistent airway obstruction symptoms in a 2½-year-old boy with Pfeiffer syndrome were attributed to facial abnormalities, central and obstructive sleep apnea, and tracheomalacia from a vascular ring. These findings delayed the diagnosis of a tracheal cartilaginous sleeve. Life expectancy in tracheal cartilaginous sleeve is improved by tracheostomy. Tracheal cartilaginous sleeve should be considered and investigated through airway endoscopy in children with fibroblast growth factor receptor-related craniosynostosis syndromes.
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A 4-year-old boy presented for elective bronchoscopy after years of pharmacologically unresponsive reactive airway disease that limited physical activity. After mask induction with nitrous oxide and sevoflurane, the patient was noted to be intermittently in a hemodynamically stable tachyarrhythmia. The anesthesia machine, though equipped with electrocardiogram (ECG) recording capabilities, malfunctioned during the case and was not able to print a rhythm strip. ⋯ This case highlights 2 points. First, any prolonged or sustained pediatric dysrhythmia revealed during anesthesia warrants further investigation and should not be assumed secondary to an anesthetic drug. Second, ubiquitous smartphones are an excellent tool for capturing data that the monitor is unable to capture.
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A healthy, active duty military 25-year-old female with a history of congenital complete heart block presented for a routine septorhinoplasty. During the preoperative interview, she did not disclose her heart condition. ⋯ During induction of anesthesia, she became extremely bradycardic, approaching asystole, requiring resuscitation. This case highlights the potential anesthetic risks in individuals with a history of congenital heart rhythm disease.
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We describe a case of airway obstruction in a neonate by a velar cyst (a cyst located on the soft palate). We were unable to ventilate the infant's lungs until the cyst was punctured with a syringe.