Anesthetic management for emergent craniotomy in a patient with Eisenmenger's syndrome: A case report / 대한마취과학회지

Eisenmenger's syndrome describes the elevation of pulmonary arterial (PA) pressure to the systemic level caused by an increased pulmonary vascular resistance with reversed or bi-directional shunt through an intracardiac or aortopulmonary communication. We report a case of an emergent craniotomy for cerebellar abscess in a 21-year-old male patient with Eisenmenger syndrome secondary to Large VSD. A PA catheter was inserted via right femoral vein, but could not be advanced pass the pulmonic valve. After futile attempts to place the catheter tip in the right ventricle. Anesthesia was induced with etomidate, rocuronium, midazolam and fentanyl and maintained with only high dose fentanyl. Milinone and norepinephrine were infused continuously to decrease right to left shunt. He was transferred to the intensive care unit under intubated state and treated with antibiotics for a few days due to intermittent high fever. The operation ended without major complications and the patient was discharged 42 days later.

Detection of Carbon Dioxide Embolism Using Transesophageal Echocardiography during Thoracoscopic Sympathicotomy / 대한마취과학회지

BACKGROUND: Thoracoscopic Sympathicotomy (TS) is widely accepted as an effective method for the treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis. Single lumen endotracheal tube using CO2 insufflation is a simple and safe method for thoracoscopic surgery. However, there are chances of CO2 embolism during CO2 insufflation and nerve dissection. The object of this study were to assess the incidence of embolic events using transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and to evaluate the related cardiorespiratory consequence during TS. METHODS: Thirty-two patients undergoing TS were studied. The long axis four chamber view was obtained continuously, except for predetermined intervals (after induction, CO2 insufflation in left thoracic cavity, left sympathicotomy, CO2 insufflation in right thoracic cavity, and right sympathicotomy) where the transgastric short axis view was obtained to derive ejection fraction (EF). Heart rate, mean arterial pressure (MAP), O2 saturation, and end tidal CO2 were monitored. Statistical analysis was performed using multivariated ANOVA and unpaired Student's t-test. P < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: We observed CO2 embolism in 28/32 patients during CO2 insufflation (left or right) and in 32/32 patients during nerve dissection (left or right). There was no significant difference in cardiorespiratory variables between patients who presented embolism and who did not, during four distinct periods of events. Meanwhile, MAP decrease (P = 0.002) and EF increased significantly (P = 0.007) after sympathicotomy. This can be explained by decrease in systemic vascular resistance (SVR) by sympathicotomy. CONCLUSIONS: Embolic events commonly occur during CO2 insufflation and nerve dissection without cardiorespiratory instability during TS. However, we should pay attention when administrating N2O.

Management with High Frequency Ventilation of Acute Idiopathic Pulmonary Hemorrhage in Infants / 대한마취과학회지

Acute idiopathic pulmonary hemorrhage in infants (AIPHI) is characterized by a sudden onset of pulmonary hemorrhage in previous healthy infants. Evidence of pulmonary hemorrhage may present as hemoptysis or a finding of blood in the nose or airway with no evidence of upper respiratory or gastrointestinal bleeding. Patients presenting with acute, severe respiratory distress or failure, and those requiring mechanical ventilation and often demonstrate bilateral infiltrates by chest radiography. We report a case of AIPHI which developed during the induction of anesthesia. A 3-month-old male infant received right herniorraphy under general endotracheal anesthesia. After intubation, blood tinged fluid was aspirated using an endotracheal tube during operation. Chest radiography showed bilateral ground glass opacity. We transferred the patient to the ICU and applied conventional mechanical ventilation. However hypoxemia and respiratory acidosis were persisted. We then switched to a high frequency ventilator (HFV), the hypoxemia and respiratory acidosis were corrected. The patient was transferred to the general ward on the 7th postoperative day.