The emergent use of Cardiopulmonary bypass and extracorporeal membrane oxygenator in a child with sickle cell disease.

The use of Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and extracorporeal membrane oxygenator (ECMO) in patients suffering from Sickle cell disease (SCD) needs specific precautions. Whereas, no consensual protocols have been established to clarify therapeutic management. CASE REPORT A 7-year-old boy was admitted to the hospital for surgery of advanced endocarditis.  Major dyspnea, hemodynamic distress and fever were noted on physical examination. Biological tests exploring anaemia revealed Haemoglobin (Hb) S levels of 39.1%. Echocardiography showed important right heart cavities dilation with multiple aortic vegetations. The child was accepted for emergent surgery. Ten minutes after anesthetic induction, serious hemodynamic distress was established. The patient was put on normothermic CPB when he received four packed red-blood-cell. After surgery, he was placed on ECMO support for 2 days than he succumbed. CONCLUSION Urgent cardiac surgery in patients suffering from SCD poses a major therapeutic dilemma. Multiplying case reports and encouraging prospective studies are necessary to define the right place of cardio-pulmonary assistance in treatment protocols for better management.

Can CS gas induce myocardial infarction?

"2-chlorobenzylidene malononitrile" also named CS gas is the most used riot-control agent in the world. Its reputation as the least toxic tear gas explains its large use by different authorities. Early exposure to CS spray commonly induces visual irritation, skin reactions, with increased mucous secretion in order to temporarily incapacitate targeted people. However, there is a large agreement that safety data of this product is limited and further studies need to be performed since serious problems could occur after heavy exposure such as loss of consciousness, laryngospasm, pulmonary edema and hemorrhage... Herein, we report a case of a young man who had acute myocardial infarction with serious cardiac sequelae after exposure to tear gas. To our knowledge, this is the second case since forty years in the literature that directly links documented acute heart infarction to CS gas exposure.

Can CS gas induce myocardial infarction?

"2-chlorobenzylidene malononitrile" also named CS gas is the most used riot-control agent in the world. Its reputation as the least toxic tear gas explains its large use by different authorities. Early exposure to CS spray commonly induces visual irritation, skin reactions, with increased mucous secretion in order to temporarily incapacitate targeted people. However, there is a large agreement that safety data of this product is limited and further studies need to be performed since serious problems could occur after heavy exposure such as loss of consciousness, laryngospasm, pulmonary edema and hemorrhage... Herein, we report a case of a young man who had acute myocardial infarction with serious cardiac sequelae after exposure to tear gas. To our knowledge, this is the second case since forty years in the literature that directly links documented acute heart infarction to CS gas exposure.