Endotracheal tube cuff leak with mysterious laryngotracheal pathology.

A 63 year-old obese man with gastroesophageal reflux disease, hiatal hernia, and no known history of airway pathology was to undergo a total knee arthroplasty. After intubation, however, repeated cuff leaks, decreasing tidal volumes, and desaturations prompted five additional endotracheal tube placements. Findings on radiography, computed tomography, and fiberoptic laryngoscopy and tracheoscopy were equivocal.

Left-to-right cardiac shunt: perioperative anesthetic considerations.

Congenital heart disease (CHD) affects roughly 8/1000 live births. Improvements in medical and surgical management in recent decades have resulted in significantly more children with left-to-right cardiac shunts surviving into adulthood. Surgical care of these patients for their original cardiac defect(s) or other non-cardiac medical conditions requires thorough understanding of cardiopulmonary changes and mastery of treatment options.

Postoperative apnea, respiratory strategies, and pathogenesis mechanisms: a review.

Recovery from anesthesia is ideally routine and uneventful. After extubation, the recovering postoperative patient ought to breathe without supportive care or additional oxygenation. It has been demonstrated in previous studies that postoperative pulmonary complications are clinically relevant in terms of mortality, morbidity, and length of hospital stay.

Preanesthetic Assessment of the Jehovah's Witness Patient.

The Jehovah's Witnesses, a religious group of 7 million people in more than 200 countries, teaches its followers to not accept blood, resulting in potentially challenging and ethical dilemmas for anesthesiologists. In recent years, Jehovah's Witnesses changed certain elements of their approach to blood transfusion practice, including accepting autologous transfusions in certain circumstances. We examine mechanisms to resolve ethical conflicts, such as additional medical consultations with other involved physicians, surgeons, and anesthesiologists; short-term counseling or psychiatric consultation for patient and family; case management conferences; consultation with individuals trained in clinical ethics or a hospital-based ethics committee; and discussions with hospital administration.

Mucopolysaccharidoses: anesthetic considerations and clinical manifestations.

Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) is a group of genetic disorders that presents challenges during anesthetic care and in particular difficulty with airway management. Patients should be managed by experienced anesthesiologists at centers that are familiar with these types of conditions. Rarely encountered disease states have been identified as important topics in the continuing education of clinical anesthesiologists.

Wegener's granulomatosis.

The immunopathologic disease, Wegener's granulomatosis, presents a challenge to the anesthesiologist due to multisystem involvement resulting in potential abnormalities of the airway, respiratory, circulatory, renal, and central/peripheral nervous systems. It is a systemic vasculitis of small, medium and occasional large arterial involvement. A familiarity with the proper approach to perioperative management is essential.

Update on neonatal resuscitation.

Although only 10% of neonates born in the United States require resuscitation, availability of well trained personnel skilled in neonatal resuscitation can result in a significant decline in neonatal morbidity and mortality. One important aspect of performing a successful resuscitation is having a good understanding of the complex dynamics of fetal/neonatal physiology and the adaptations that must be made to transition to extrauterine life. This knowledge will allow one to better serve the resuscitative needs of the neonate.

Malignant hyperthermia associated with diabetic hyperosmolar hyperglycemic nonketotic state in a young man.

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a rare complication that often leads to adverse outcomes, catastrophic events, or death. Although various risk factors and underlying diseases are associated with this condition, unusual presentations may be missed. Malignant hyperthermia is an uncommon complication encountered during the treatment of patients with diabetic ketoacidosis.

Rheumatoid arthritis: current pharmacologic treatment and anesthetic considerations.

A diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis carries with it a lifelong progressive disease; however twenty percent of patients enjoy periods of partial to total remission. After remission, the disease will frequently plague previously unaffected joints. Life expectancy is reduced by an average of three to seven years.

Chronic pain and ultrarapid opioid detoxification.

Availability of opiate substances through physicians and on the street has led to a rise in dependence and in addiction resulting in countless numbers of people hooked on these drugs. Long-term use of these agents results in reduction of endogenous supply of opiate replaced by these exogenous compounds. A technique known as Ultrarapid Detoxification (UROD) has been developed and appears more promising than conventional modalities.

A contemporary review of multiple organ failure.

MOF or MOSF is a serious condition that represents a leading cause of death in critically ill or injured patients. It commonly begins as a result of injury, widespread inflammation, infection, shock or a combination of the above. Progression from SIRS to MOSD and on to MOF can occur within days.