Acute dystonic reaction to general anesthesia with propofol and ondansetron: a graded response.

Propofol and ondansetron, alone and in combination, have been associated with acute dystonic reactions during recovery from anesthesia. We report the case of a 44-year-old woman who had undergone microlaryngoscopic fat injection to the vocal folds three times over a period of 10 months. Each procedure was performed by the same surgeon.

Pain management in developing countries.

Access to pain relief is an integral part of peri-operative care jointly managed by clinicians and nursing staff. Simple regimens, relying on inexpensive drugs, are often not followed due to inadequate healthcare systems. This article describes some of the common challenges, and suggests practical approaches to overcoming them.

One-year audit of admissions to the Intensive Care Unit of the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre.

The intensive care unit at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) has 4 beds and offers level 2 care. A retrospective audit of all admissions to the unit during 2002 was carried out. There were a total of 339 admissions giving a bed occupancy rate of 82 %.

The impact of hypoxia and hyperventilation on outcome after paramedic rapid sequence intubation of severely head-injured patients.

Background: An increase in mortality has been documented in association with paramedic rapid sequence intubation (RSI) of severely head-injured patients. This analysis explores the impact of hypoxia and hyperventilation on outcome.

Methods: Adult severely head-injured patients (Glasgow Coma Scale score of 3-8) unable to be intubated without neuromuscular blockade underwent paramedic RSI using midazolam and succinylcholine; rocuronium was administered after confirmation of tube position.