Management of maternal anaphylaxis in pregnancy: a case report.

Case: A 26-year-old woman (gravida 2, para 1) at 25 weeks' gestation was brought to the emergency department because of anaphylactic symptoms. She reported eating Japanese soba and developed symptoms of dyspnea, generalized itchy rash, abdominal pain, and severe uterine contractions within 15-30 min of eating. She was immediately treated by normal saline infusion, two injections of epinephrine (intramuscularly), and a nebulized short-acting ß2-receptor agonist, followed by H1-antihistamine and methylprednisolone. Obstetrical management was undertaken by an obstetrician. Outcome: The patient recovered rapidly without a biphasic reaction of anaphylaxis. After 11 weeks, a healthy, neurologically intact baby was born. Conclusion: Management of anaphylaxis in pregnant patients is basically the same of that in non-pregnant ones. Treatment should commence immediately to prevent further development of the anaphylaxis reaction and fetal neurological deficiency.

[Pneumothorax during laparoscopic adrenal surgery: a case report].

A 55-year-old female patient was scheduled for laparoscopic adrenal surgery. In the operating room, anesthesia was induced with propofol and maintained with nitrous oxide/sevoflurane and epidural anesthesia. The operation was completed uneventfully. After tracheal extubation, Spo2 decreased suddenly from 98 to 92% and chest auscultation revealed weaker breathing sound on the left side. Left pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum were noticed on a chest X-ray. The pneumothorax in this case was thought to have been caused by passage of insufflation gas through the retroperitoneum to the mediastinum and thoracic cavity or by a minor injury of diaphragm. Although pneumothorax complication in laparoscopic surgery is rare, the frequency of its occurrence in laparoscopic adrenal surgery appears to be higher than other laparoscopic operations and may be due to the organ's location in the retroperitoneum near the diaphragm. Attention should be paid to the possibility of pneumothorax occurring during laparoscopic adrenal surgery even if there is no apparent surgical injury.