Delayed CSF rhinorrhea presenting as a lethal acute bacterial meningitis 5 years post trauma.

Key clinical message: Delayed presentation of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea is rare following head trauma. It is frequently complicated by meningitis if not addressed in time. This report highlights the importance of its timely management, the lack of which can lead to a fatal outcome. Abstract: A 33-year-old man presented with meningitis in septic shock. He had a history of severe traumatic brain injury 5 years back following which he had a history of intermittent nasal discharge for the past 1 year. On investigation, he was found to have Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis, and CT scan of his head showed defects in the cribriform plate which established the diagnosis of meningoencephalitis secondary to cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea. The patient did not survive despite appropriate antibiotics.

Peripheral Nerve and Plexus Blocks for Hip Surgery in a Nonagenarian with Severe Cardiac Disease.

The hemodynamic alterations and stress response associated with anesthesia and surgery are often poorly tolerated by elderly patients. Regional anesthesia techniques are useful in the elderly as they provide excellent perioperative analgesia with minimal hemodynamic perturbations. We report the case of a 90-year-old man with valvular heart disease and severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction, who underwent dynamic hip screw fixation of fractured femur neck under combined pericapsular nerve group block, lumbar plexus block, and para-sacral sciatic nerve block. We are not aware of any previous report of the combination of these blocks used for surgical anesthesia in hip fracture surgery. Keywords: Geriatric; hip fracture; pericapsular nerve group block; regional anesthesia.

Topical nitroglycerin for management of peripheral extravasation of vasopressors: a case report.

Peripheral route for administration of vasopressors is often opted due to resource limitations or as a rescue until central venous access is established. This, however, is not devoid of complications, the most common being extravasation and tissue injury. Phentolamine is the only drug approved for management of vasopressor extravasation; however, successful use of other agents has been reported. Here we report a case of peripheral extravasation of vasopressors, successfully managed with topical nitroglycerin in intensive care unit in Kathmandu. To our knowledge, this is the first report of such kind from Nepal.

Pericapsular Nerve Group Block: An Excellent Option for Analgesia for Positional Pain in Hip Fractures.

Fractures in and around the hip are common presentations in the emergency department. It is commonly seen in the elderly as a result of osteoporotic changes. However, younger age groups are also affected, especially as a result of high velocity trauma. Irrespective of age, hip fractures are extremely painful, and it is difficult to position the patients for anesthesia procedures. Most of these cases are performed under subarachnoid block (SAB) or combined spinal-epidural anesthesia (CSEA), which requires the patient to be in sitting or lateral position. Here, we report a series of ten cases where pericapsular nerve group (PENG) block was administered prior to positioning the patients for SAB or CSEA. This block is a recently described regional anesthesia technique that provides excellent analgesia for hip fractures. It also provides very good analgesia for patient positioning during procedures such as SAB or CSEA.

Ankle Surgery in a Patient with Acute Subdural Hematoma Under Combined Lumbar Plexus and Proximal Sciatic Nerve Block - A Case Report.

Acute subdural hematoma (aSDH) is commonly encountered in the emergency department in patients with traumatic injuries. If the hematoma is small, non-expanding and asymptomatic, it is managed conservatively. However, other injuries sustained during trauma may warrant surgical intervention, during which anesthetic management becomes challenging. There have been reports of rebleeding in patients with aSDH after undergoing surgery under either general or spinal anesthesia. Here we present a case where ankle surgery for tri-malleolar fracture was successfully performed in a patient with traumatic aSDH under combined lumbar plexus and proximal (para-sacral) sciatic nerve block.

Symptomatic Hyponatremia following Bowel Preparation for Colonoscopy: A Case Report.

Colonoscopy is considered a gold standard tool for the diagnostic evaluation of colorectal diseases. Bowel preparation, a pre-requisite for colonoscopy, usually involves ingestion of purgatives for the cleansing of the bowel so that visualization is not obscured during the procedure. Commonly used preparations are sodium phosphate-based solutions, sodium picosulphate and polyethylene glycol. The use of such preparations is associated with electrolyte disturbances, commonly hyponatremia. Hyponatremia is usually seen with sodium phosphate based solutions and is rare with polyethylene glycol. Symptomatic hyponatremia, however, is rare following bowel preparation and is attributable to other factors as well, such as the age of patient, non-osmotic release of antidiuretic hormone and the procedure itself. In this report, we discuss a case of severe symptomatic hyponatremia observed in a 71-year-old gentleman who underwent polyethylene glycol based bowel preparation for colonoscopy.