[Apnea and severe respiratory depression induced by dexmedetomidine after general anesthesia in intensive care unit].

Dexmedetomidine (DEX) is widely used in intensive care unit for perioperative sedation. The one advantage of DEX administration for sedation is the lack of significant respiratory depression. However, DEX shows significant interaction with anesthetics and narcotics, and we present a case in which post-anesthetic administration of DEX induced apnea and severe respiratory depression after extubation.

[Serotonin syndrome caused by an overdose of dextromethorphan, Medicon].

We report the first case of serotonin syndrome caused by overdose of dextromethorphan in Japan. A 34-year-old woman with schizophrenia received a dextromethorphan (Medicon) for a catarrhal symptom from two individual departments of the university hospital by chance. The daily amount of dextromethorphan was up to 180 mg for several days in addition to other regular antipsychotic drugs including risperidone, amitriptyline and levomepromazine.

[Case of facial edema and tongue swelling after aortic surgery in the lateral position].

The facial edema and tongue swelling after oral surgery are not rare complications and many case reports were published, but they were limited after anesthesia for surgery of other parts. A 70-year-old woman who had underwent thoraco-abdominal aortic graft surgery showed severe facial edema and tongue swelling after the surgery in the right lateral position. The tongue was largely protruded outside of the mouse when entering ICU and was gradually improved.

[Ventricular fibrillation during induction of anesthesia in a patient with polycythemia vera].

A 53-year-old male patient complained of the pain with bilateral hip area and right hip joint and underwent emergency arthroscopy and drainage. Twenty-eight years before, he had suffered from gout and from his abnormal increase of blood cells was diagnosed as polycythemia vera. The laboratory examination at admission showed a marked increase of hemoglobin (17.