[Anesthetic Management of Cesarean Section in a Pregnant Woman with Advanced Tongue Cancer].

It is very difficult to decide the best time to deliver the baby for a pregnant woman with advanced cancer. We experienced the perioperative and perinatal management of a 39-year-old pregnant woman with advanced tongue cancer. The cancer had already metastasized to the lung and lymph nodes. Furthermore a recurrent thumb-sized tumor was found in her mouth. She had firmly desired to discontinue all anticancer treatment for protecting the fetus. On the other hand, her family could not accept her determination yet. Therefore the medical team was organized with doctors and co-medicals from multiple departments such as gynecology, pediatrics, radiology, oncology, midwife, psychotherapy and anesthesiology. After several conferences including herself and family, finally cesarean section was scheduled for the 30th gestational week. Prepared for unexpected emergency delivery, airway stenosis was ruled out by fiberoptic laryngoscopy and the consent for emergency tracheostomy was obtained. The operation was performed successfully under spinal anesthesia without any severe troubles. Medical care as a team from early phase enabled elaborate observation and preparation through the perioperative and perinatal period. Furthermore, it was efficient to provide satisfaction to the patient and her family as well.

[Oxygen embolism after intraoperative use of hydrogen peroxide].

Hydrogen peroxide is widely used for irrigation of surgical wounds. However, its administration has been associated with gas embolism. We report a case of gas embolism after wound irrigation with hydrogen peroxide in a 11-year-old boy undergoing extraction of the extra-traumatic splint under general anesthesia. When 3% hydrogen peroxide 12 ml was applied to wound of the left femur after extraction of the splint, the patient showed clinical signs of pulmonary embolism. Symptomatic treatment was initiated immediately. When the patient awoke from anesthesia, he showed tonic convulsion. But he recovered without any complications. The administration of hydrogen peroxide into a closed tissue is contraindicated during surgery.

[The development of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus sepsis in a patient with herpes zoster during treatment with continuous epidural infusion].

A 79-year-old man with herpes zoster was referred to our hospital for pain control. He was a survivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, and had a history of cerebral infarction and hypertension. A cervical epidural catheter was placed for continuous analgesic infusion. After 20 days of catheterization, he gradually developed a high fever and confusion, and complained of nausea and headaches. An urgent blood examination revealed a white blood cell count of 15,200 mm-3 and a C-reactive protein of 32.4 mg.dl-1. The catheter was removed and antibiotic therapy was started. Repeated magnetic resonance imaging could not confirm epidural abscess formation. The bacterial culture of the cerebrospinal fluid was negative, but the cultures of the blood, the catheter tip, and the nasal cavity swab were positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Although intravenous vancomycin was administered, systemic inflammation persisted. The patient consecutively suffered varied disorders such as acute renal failure, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and gastrointestinal bleeding. Although symptomatic treatment had been prolonging his life, 58 days after the catheter removal, the patient suddenly developed cerebellopontine infarction, which made mechanical ventilation necessary. He remained unconscious until his death 117 days after the catheter removal. We discussed the possible pathogenetic mechanisms of the present case.