Severe bullous skin lesions associated with Chikungunya virus infection in small infants.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to describe a pediatric case series of Chikungunya infection associated with extensive bullous skin lesions, a severe and unknown form of the disease, during the 2005-2006 outbreak in La Réunion Island.

Materials And Methods: Retrospective descriptive hospital-based study in children presenting blisters > or = 10% of total body surface area with laboratory-confirmed Chikungunya infection.

Results: Eight boys and five girls with a mean age of 3.

Emergency percutaneous tracheostomy in a severely burned patient with upper airway obstruction and circulatory arrest.

We report the life-saving use of Griggs percutaneous tracheostomy in an arrested patient with complex upper airway obstruction, as a result of burns, smoke injuries and iterative tracheal intubation attempts. The technique was performed blindly at bedside to treat an acute episode of failed ventilation and intubation and cardiac arrest in a patient with altered neck anatomy. The intervention salvaged the situation, leaving a definitive airway.