RESUMO
Informed consent has become a part of medical practice in Albania only recently, during a time when there has been a substantial increase in claims of malpractice. Its original aim was to provide patients with information to help them make decisions on particular health interventions. We describe the case of a patient who developed an unexpected surgical complication and desperately needed a second intervention, and the futility of obtaining informed consent in the setting of a medical emergency. The circumstances of the emergency might turn out to be too complicated and confusing for the proxies. The, role of proxies is not defined in the Albanian laws and bylaws. Seeking and eventually obtaining the necessary signatures and permissions in an emergency cannot be justified because the lack of time in such circumstances might be a major obstacle to sound and comprehensive communication, and lack of communication could give rise to mistrust, with all its potential consequences.
RESUMO
Pregnancy represents a physiological status which, due to clear and typical hormonal and hemodynamic changes, is frequently accompanied by a high morbidity of aortic structures, in all of its segments. Such morbidity might become patent when a pregestational situation exists, especially with the mother suffering from connective tissue disorders. Nevertheless, morbid occurrences that will be met only during pregnancy are well known, with particular pathophysiological and etiological theories, as well as a diversity of treatments proposed in such an unusual setting. The authors discuss the main pathologies of aorta that are seen during pregnancy, from a theoretical point of view, and from a historical perspective as well. A special focus is made to the connective tissue disorders, and the theoretical considerations are illustrated with images of dissecting aneurysms of aorta.