Meningococcal disease is a serious infection and it appears as meningitis or septicaemia. Neisseria meningitidis is transmitted from person to person via respiratory secretions. Infection can be acquired only after exposure to a carrier of the organism. Chemoprophylaxis and vaccination are recommended for the limitation of the spread of the disease. The risk of infection in healthcare workers who are exposed to patients with meningococcal disease is low.
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Ultrasound-based diagnostic techniques are now part of the cardiological patients’ chart, while echocardiography is used more often for intraoperative diagnostic as well, as monitoring practices by the anesthesiologist. This article will address the basic physical principles of the ultrasound waves and describe the interactions of ultrasound waves with tissues that lead to the generation of two-dimensional and Doppler ultrasound images
Continue readingPostoperative vomiting (PV) is a complication of surgery under general mainly anaesthesia. Nowadays about 1 in 3 surgical patients complain of PV. The aetiology of PV is multimodal and so must be the management. There are simple methods to predict the patients who will vomit postoperatively and these patients must be managed with special measures, preferably before PV will be established. Aetiology, prediction and management of high risk for PV patients are analyzed and discussed.
Continue readingPain is the sensation associated with injury, and injury produces pain. Pain is nociceptive (“normal”) when it results from the activity of healthy nociceptive afferents aroused by noxious stimuli.
Continue readingGabapentin was tested as complementary analgesic in 25 cancer patients in whom pain was not sufficiently controlled by transdermal fentanyl. Neuropathic pain syndrome in these patients consisted of burning pain and allodynia. Gabapentin was administered at a dose of 648±206,4mg, while dosage of transdermal fentanyl was fixed (261±98,1μg/h).
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We present a case of severe postoperative negative pressure pulmonary edema (NPPE) in a young male patient scheduled for elective surgery. During recovery from anesthesia the patient got agitated, bit the laryngeal mask persistently and made forceful inspiratory efforts.
Continue readingThe aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of postoperative vomiting (POV) in patients undergoing operations under general anaesthesia, as well as the application of a simple risk score for prediction of POV. Four hundred thirty one patients scheduled to undergo four different kinds of surgical procedures under general anaesthesia (mastectomy, thyreoidectomy, abdominal hysterectomy, laparoscopic cholecystectomy) were included in the study.
Continue readingPulmonary oedema after general anaesthesia is a rare complication and it has been described as well in children as in adults. A case of a healthy child, who developed pulmonary oedema early after emergence from general anaesthesia is reported. Possible causes and management are discussed and a brief review of the literature is referred.
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