Not All Oxygrams Are Mirror Image of Capnograms: A Case Report Generally the oxygram and the capnogram are mirror images of each other. We report a situation where a leak in the sample line produced a typical tails-up capnogram that was not accompanied by a mirror image oxygram. Air entrainment through the breach led to dilution of the gases on their way to the analyzer. The result was an oxygram resembling a series of mountain peaks.

Anesthetic Management in an Adult Patient With Costello Syndrome: A Case Report Costello syndrome is a rare genetic disorder characterized by mental and growth retardation and distinctive coarse facies. A significant proportion of patients with Costello syndrome have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, papillomata, and malignant tumors. General anesthesia practice, especially airway and cardiac management, in patients with Costello syndrome may be complicated by anatomical features and cardiac abnormalities. There have been several reports on the anesthetic management of children with Costello syndrome, but few have reported on the anesthetic management of adults with Costello syndrome. In adults, careful preoperative evaluation as well as preparation for adult-onset and previously unrecognized medical conditions are key for safe anesthetic management.

Mechanical Aortic Valve Thrombus in Pregnancy: A Case Report Cardiac disease is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality in developed countries. The presence of a mechanical valve is a predictor of cardiac complications in obstetric patients, likely due to the challenges associated with pregnancy hypercoagulability and the imperative of meticulous management of anticoagulation throughout pregnancy, delivery, and the postpartum and to prevent the devastating event of a mechanical valve thrombosis. We report on the management of a pregnant woman with a mechanical aortic valve found to have a thrombus at 37 weeks gestation. It was decided to perform cesarean delivery to allow for a reoperative mechanical aortic valve replacement 24 hours thereafter.

Awake Intubation via an Ambu AuraGain in a Patient With Extreme Obesity: A Case Report Severe obesity is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Airway management is challenging due to difficulties in positioning and airway management and altered pulmonary physiology. We report a case of awake flexible bronchoscopic intubation via an Ambu AuraGain in a patient with a body mass index of 54 kg/m2 scheduled for elective thyroidectomy. The procedure was well tolerated and easily performed in the full sitting position for optimal airway and ventilation and cardiovascular stability during intubation. To our knowledge, this is the first published report of awake flexible bronchoscopic intubation via an AuraGain, and we discuss our rationale for using this technique.

Sacroiliac Joint Pain in Pregnancy: A Case Report Sacroiliac joint pain is one of the most common causes of low back pain in pregnant women. We present a case of a 30-year-old G2P1 at 20 weeks gestation presenting with intractable low back pain refractory to conservative management. History and physical examination revealed sacroiliac joint as the pain generator. We elected to do an ultrasound-guided sacroiliac joint injection that significantly abated her pain. This article aims to review the diagnosis, pathophysiology, and treatment approaches to adequately manage sacroiliac joint pain in pregnant women.

Orthotopic Liver Transplant in a Patient Anticoagulated With Rivaroxaban: A Case Report Direct oral anticoagulants are approved for use in the United States and Europe and are increasingly used in chronic liver disease patients who have or are at risk of thrombotic events. While these drugs are clinically attractive because no monitoring is required, the risks and benefits in patients with hepatic or renal insufficiency who undergo surgery remain unclear. In this report, we describe the perioperative consequences, safety issues, and lessons learned from a patient undergoing an orthotopic liver transplant who was anticoagulated with rivaroxaban due to partial superior mesenteric vein thrombosis.

Neuraxial Anesthesia in a Patient With a History of Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension: A Case Report One commonly cited complication of neuraxial techniques is postdural puncture headache. Patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension may present with a similar constellation of symptoms in the absence of any neuraxial instrumentation. The underlying physiology of spontaneous intracranial hypotension is similar to postdural puncture headache, but cerebrospinal fluid leaks may develop spontaneously at multiple levels of the neuraxis due to a variety of proposed mechanisms. We present a patient with a history of spontaneous intracranial hypotension who underwent a total knee arthroplasty under spinal anesthesia without complication and discuss the pathophysiology, proposed etiologies and treatments, and safety of neuraxial anesthesia in spontaneous intracranial hypotension.

Diagnosis of an Additional Ventricular Septal Defect by Observing Dark Blood in Aortic Root Vent: A Case Report Diagnosis and management of multiple ventricular septal defects still remain a challenging task. Although many new diagnostic modalities have been used for the perioperative diagnosis of ventricular septal defects, the discovery of residual or additional shunts in the postoperative period is not uncommon. We report a case where we observed an undiagnosed additional ventricular septal defect shunting deoxygenated dark blood into the aortic root vent during deairing of the heart, which was confirmed on transesophageal echocardiography and addressed with reinstitution of cardiopulmonary bypass.

Titration of Bivalirudin Infusion in the Pediatric Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory: A Case Report Bivalirudin is a direct thrombin inhibitor that is used as a procedural anticoagulant during percutaneous coronary interventions and cardiac surgery for patients with heparin-resistant thrombosis or heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. There is a robust literature describing its safety and efficacy in adults; however, its use in the pediatric population is relatively rare, with dosing extrapolated from adult data. In this case report, we describe a 4-year-old with complex congenital heart disease and history of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia who required bivalirudin dose uptitration during cardiac catheterization.

Cangrelor Bridging Within 6 Months of a Drug-Eluting Stent in a Patient for Emergency Cervical Spine Surgery: A Case Report The recommended duration of dual antiplatelet therapy after drug-eluting stent placement presents a dilemma for patients with recent stenting who require urgent or emergency noncardiac surgery. We present the case of a patient with recent drug-eluting stent placement (<6 months) on dual antiplatelet therapy who underwent successful emergency cervical spine surgery with antiplatelet therapy bridged using cangrelor, an intravenous P2Y12 inhibitor antiplatelet agent. Our experience illustrates the multidisciplinary approach to a patient with high thrombotic and bleeding risk who underwent neurosurgery off both aspirin and a P2Y12 inhibitor.