Red cell transfusion; triggers used in operating room

The purpose of this study was to determine and quantify those factors that anesthetist's use when deciding to transfuse blood in operating room. CMH abbottabad Nov to Dec 2008. Survey report. Prospective cross-sectional descriptive from operation theatre of Combined Military Hospital Abbottabad a tertiary care hospital. With consent from the local ethics committee, an audit was carried out using a questionnaire designed to examine some of the factors that could be important in the decision-making process surrounding blood transfusion during intermediate and major surgery. Anesthetists were asked to fill in the audit forms and to indicate whether they were going to give blood or not. Fifty two audit forms, completed during intermediate or major surgery, were analyzed to determine the strengths of certain factors in the decision-making process related to transfusion. Fifty one forms had a satisfactorily complete data set with hemoglobin concentrations Hb between 6.6 and 15.0 g/dL. This study demonstrates that, of the physiological factors, the hemoglobin concentration was the most important factor used for red cell transfusion, and the presence of ongoing bleeding an important contextual factor. Peer pressure to transfuse became apparent at a [Hb] of about 8.5 g/dL. The patients were transfused at the average Hb value of 10.8 g/dL. This average Hb of transfused patients is much higher than current Hb trigger thresholds of 7.0-8.0 g/dL

Mucormycosis: a devastating fungal infection in diabetics

Mucormycosis is a highly invasive, devastating and usually fatal fungal infection of the sinuses, brain, or lungs that occurs primarily in people with immune disorders. Despite advances in diagnosis and treatment, a high mortality still exists. We present a middle aged diabetic male with this serious fungal infection involving nose, paranasal area and adjacent periorbital regions with a high risk of progressing further towards the dura mater. He was promptly diagnosed and managed with serial surgical debridements with systemic antifungals and was later fitted with a nasal prosthesis

Lingual thyroid as a cause of snoring and sleep apnea

Lingual thyroid is a rare developmental abnormality. We describe a case of lingual thyroid in a 28 years old female who presented with symptoms of heroic snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. She was treated with surgery and was advised a life long thyroid hormone replacement therapy