The Year in Thoracic Anesthesia: Selected Highlights from 2022.

This article reviews research highlights in the field of thoracic anesthesia. The highlights of this year included new developments in the preoperative assessment and prehabilitation of patients requiring thoracic surgery, updates on the use of devices for one-lung ventilation (OLV) in adults and children, updates on the anesthetic and postoperative management of these patients, including protective OLV ventilation, the use of opioid-sparing techniques and regional anesthesia, and outcomes using enhanced recovery after surgery, as well as the use of expanding indications for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, specialized anesthetic techniques for airway surgery, and nonintubated video-assisted thoracic surgery.

A Devastating Floating Aortic Thrombus and Ketosis-Prone Diabetes.

This article reports a case study of a middle-aged patient diagnosed with Ketosis-Prone Diabetes (KPD) and diabetic ketoacidosis who had a mobile thrombus in the distal aortic arch with catastrophic complications from thrombus embolization. The pathogenesis of the mobile aortic thrombus is currently under investigation, with many risk factors having been found. Based on the patient's limited manifestation of atherosclerosis and the absence of any indications of thrombophilia, KPD and inflammation from uncontrolled hyperglycemia likely played a significant role in the formation of the thrombus. KPD is a subtype of diabetes characterized by the abrupt onset of severe hyperglycemia and ketoacidosis. The inflammation caused by uncontrolled hyperglycemia in KPD patients can lead to endothelial dysfunction and the activation of prothrombotic pathways. There is a lack of consensus regarding the optimal approach for managing a mobile aortic thrombus. The main strategies under consideration are conservative care, including anticoagulation alone, invasive removal of the thrombus, or endovascular intervention.

Intraoperative Hyperkalemia and Ventricular Arrhythmia During Parathyroidectomy: A Case Report.

We present a case of acute hyperkalemia and ventricular arrhythmia during parathyroidectomy in a patient with end-stage renal disease. This case highlights the under-recognized alterations in potassium homeostasis associated with parathyroidectomy and underscores the importance of preoperative optimization.