An Innovative Simple Technique of Blood Conservation in Adult Patients with Tetralogy of Fallot and Severely Raised Hemoglobin

The adult patients of tetralogy of Fallot often present with high hemoglobin levels. High hemoglobin and hematocrit on cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) are associated with increased hemolysis, plasma free hemoglobin, renal dysfunction or failure, postoperative bleeding, exploration for bleeding, and increased requirement of allogeneic blood and blood products. Despite the presence of high hemoglobin and its association with adverse outcome, blood conservation is rarely practiced in these patients because of the fear of possible hemodynamic instability, and hypoxemic spell. We describe an innovative, simple technique of blood conservation for adult patients of tetralogy of Fallot with severely raised hemoglobin. With this technique, hemoglobin can be normalized on CPB; moreover, there is no fear of hypoxemic spell or hemodynamic instability. Furthermore, the blood conserved is readily available for transfusion in the perioperative period, if needed

Anesthesia and intracranial arteriovenous malformation

Anesthetic management of intracranial arteriovenous malformation (AVM) poses multiple challenges to the anesthesiologist in view of its complex and poorly understood pathophysiology and multiple modalities for its treatment involving different sub-specialties. The diagnosis of AVM is based on clinical presentation as well as radiological investigation. Pregnant patients with intracranial AVM and neonates with vein of Galen malformation may also pose a special challenge and require close attention. Despite technological advancement, reported morbidity or mortality after AVM treatment remains high and largely depends on age of the patient, recruitment of perforating vessels, its size, location in the brain, history of previous bleed and post-treatment hyperemic complication. Anesthetic management includes a thorough preoperative visit with meticulous planning based on different modalities of treatment including anesthesia for radiological investigation. Proper attention should be directed while transporting the patient for the procedure. Protection of the airway, adequate monitoring, and maintaining neurological and cardiovascular stability, and the patient's immobility during the radiological procedures, appreciation and management of various complications that can occur during and after the procedure and meticulous ICU management is essential

Hypoglycemic Effect of Calotropis gigantea Linn. Leaves and Flowers in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

Objectives: To evaluate the hypoglycemic and anti-diabetic activity of chloroform extract of Calotropis gigantea leaves and flowers in normal rats and streptozotocin induced diabetes.Methods: The hypoglycemic activity in normal rats was carried out by treatment using chloroform extract of Calotropis gigantea leaf and flower 10, 20 and 50 mg/kg, orally. The oral glucose tolerance test was carried out by administering glucose (2 g/kg, p.o), to non-diabetic rats treated with leaf and flowers extracts at oral doses 10, 20 and 50 mg/kg, p.o and glibenclamide 10 mg/kg. The serum glucose was then measured at 0, 1.5, 3 and 5 hr after administration of extracts/drug. Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were administered the same doses of leaf and flower extracts, and standard drugs glibenclamide was given to the normal rats or 0.5 ml of 5�0Tween-80, for 27 days. The blood sample from all groups collected by retro-orbital puncture on 7, 14, 21 and 27th days after administration of the extracts/drug and used for the estimation of serum glucose levels using the glucose kit.Results: The Calotropis gigantea leaves and flowers extracts were effective in lowering serum glucose levels in normal rats. Improvement in oral glucose tolerance was also registered by treatment with Calotropis gigantean. The administration of leaf and flower extracts to streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats showed a significant reduction in serum glucose levels.Conclusion: It is concluded that chloroform extracts of Calotropis gigantea leaves and flowers have significant anti-diabetic activity

Anesthesia for awake craniotomy: A retrospective study

Context: Awake craniotomy is increasingly performed the world over. We share our experience of performing craniotomy awake with our anesthetic protocol. Aims: To evaluate and analyze the anesthesia records of the patients who underwent awake craniotomy at our institution. Settings and Design: University teaching hospital, Retrospective study. Materials and Methods: We reviewed records of the 42 consecutive patients who underwent awake craniotomy under conscious sedation using Fentanyl and Propofol infusion until December 2005. The drugs were titrated (Bispectral monitoring was used in 16 patients) to facilitate intermittent intraoperative neurological testing. All patients received scalp blocks with a mixture of bupivacaine and lignocaine with adrenaline. Haloperidol and ondansetron were administered in all patients at induction of anesthesia. Results: All patients completed the procedure. One patient each needed endotracheal intubation and LMA for airway control during closure, while another required CPAP perioperatively because of desaturation to < 80%. There was significantly decreased use of anesthetics ( P < 0.001) and a trend towards reduction in complications (e.g. respiratory depression and deep sedation) ( P >0.05) with the use of BIS as compared to without BIS. Intraoperative complications were hypertension (19%), tight brain (14.2%), focal seizure (9.5%) respiratory depression (7.1%), deep sedation (7.1%), tachycardia (7.1%) and bradycardia. Two patients desaturated to < 95%. 23.8% patients developed transient neurological deficits. The most frequent postoperative complications were PONV (19%) and seizures (16.6%). Conclusions: With the use of advanced monitoring and newer anesthetics, awake craniotomy is a relatively safe procedure with an accepted rate of complications