Safety of the medical gas pipeline system.

Medical gases are nowadays being used for a number of diverse clinical applications and its piped delivery is a landmark achievement in the field of patient care. Patient safety is of paramount importance in the design, installation, commissioning, and operation of medical gas pipeline systems (MGPS). The system has to be operational round the clock, with practically zero downtime and its failure can be fatal if not restored at the earliest. There is a lack of awareness among the clinicians regarding the medico-legal aspect involved with the MGPS. It is a highly technical field; hence, an in-depth knowledge is a must to ensure safety with the system.

An unusual presentation of autonomic dysreflexia in a patient with cold abscess of cervical spine for anterolateral decompression.

A young female having complaints of quadriparesis along with bladder and bowel involvement, diagnosed to have osseous destruction of C4, C6, C7, T2 vertebral bodies with pre- and para-vertebral abscess, was taken up for anterolateral decompression and fusion of cervical spine. She presented with anxiety, agitation, sweating and headache and was in hypertensive crisis which was refractory to antihypertensives, anxiolytics and analgesics but showed a reasonable response to intravenous dexmedetomidine and finally responded dramatically to rectal evacuation. Autonomic dysreflexia was suspected with stimulus arising from distended rectum as all other causes of hypertension were ruled out.