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The present work is an audit of post-cesarean section morbidity in HIV-positive women in the tertiary teaching hospital La Fé, Valencia, Spain.Retrospective case-control study.Forty-five HIV-positive pregnant women and 90 appropriately matched controls, delivered by cesarean section in the same hospital and managed using a uniform protocol.The duration of stay in hospital after cesarean section, the need for postoperative antibiotics and the incidence of major and minor puerperal complications. Baseline characteristics of HIV-positive women were also analyzed in relation to the morbidity after surgery.Chi-square analysis for categorical data and parametric and non-parametric tests for numerical data, where appropriate.Most HIV-positive women (86.7%) had a complicated recovery after surgery. A longer duration of stay in hospital (p0.0005) and a greater incidence of major (p0.003) and minor (p0.00001) postoperative complications were observed in the HIV-positive group compared to the control group. HIV-positive women withor =500 CD4 lymphocytes/mm3 had less post-cesarean section morbidityA greater post-cesarean section morbidity was found in HIV-positive women compared to the control women. Immunological status of HIV-positive women may be important in predicting puerperal morbidity after surgery.

One hundred and twenty-eight ASA I-III patients less than 40 yr of age, undergoing orthopaedic or trauma lower limb surgery, were allocated randomly to receive either continuous spinal anaesthesia (CSA) using a 32-gauge polyimide microcatheter with a permanent stylet (Rusch/TFX Medical, Duluth, GA, USA) or single-dose spinal anaesthesia (SDSA) with a 24-gauge x 103-mm Sprotte spinal needle (Pajunk, Germany). Plain bupivacaine (0.5%) was used as the local anaesthetic. The initial doses were 1 ml (5 mg) of CSA and 3 ml (15 mg) of SDSA, while the re-injection doses were 1 ml (5 mg) in the CSA group. SDSA was quicker to perform: mean 4.4 (SD 1.6) min compared with 6.2 (2.6) min for CSA (P0.01). Times to onset and surgical anaesthesia were also significantly greater in the CSA group (P0.01). The quality of the block was better in the SDSA group (P0.05), but was associated with greater haemodynamic instability (P0.05). The segmental level of analgesia was significantly lower in the CSA group (median T10 (range T12-T8)) than in the SDSA group (T9 (T11-T5)) (P0.05). There were no significant differences in the incidence of postoperative complications, with two mild spinal headaches in both groups. We conclude that CSA using a microcatheter in young patients is difficult to perform and affords no advantages over SDSA with a small gauge atraumatic needle.

We report an unusual association of two rare conditions, the Silver-Russell syndrome and the Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome, with extra endocrine anomalies. A 15-year old Silver-Russell syndrome girl was referred to our Unit because of primary amenorrhea and hirsutism of adrenal origin. A thorough assessment confirmed previous diagnoses and revealed the presence of diabetes, hyperinsulinism and a complete Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome with an ectopic localization of both ovaries. Although initial medical treatment was not unsatisfactory, future medical, psychological and social implications are expected.

We describe pregnancy and delivery in a woman with myoadenylate deaminase deficiency myopathy.

We present two cases in which an anatomical structure, the calcar avis, and a normal variant, a bifid choroid plexus, mimicked abnormalities on routine prenatal ultrasound examination. To the best of our knowledge these pitfalls have only been described in neonates. A familiarity with these false images is important to avoid erroneous diagnoses.

We report five cases of first-trimester reversed end-diastolic flow in the umbilical artery. Diagnoses were performed between 8 and 12 gestational weeks. All but one case appeared as a transient early finding. Second-trimester fetal demise occurred in two cases. One case delivered at 32 weeks with severe growth restriction but recovered well. The other two cases had a good pregnancy outcome. Our experience suggests that this early Doppler finding is not always an ominous sign.

This prospective, randomized study evaluated the advantages and disadvantages of a new subarachnoid catheter.Sixty ASA I-IV patients aged 40-70 years, scheduled for total knee arthroplasty, were randomly distributed into group 1 (Spinocath; Braun Melsungen, Germany) and group 2 (Intralong; Pajunk, Germany). The study tabulated details of subarachnoid catheter insertion, dural puncture, time to free cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow, anesthesia onset time, surgery anesthesia time, the upper level of sensory block reached, the anesthesiologist-evaluated degree of difficulty with the technique, and the quality of analgesia obtained and complications. At the end of surgery, all the catheters were removed, and their patency was checked.Spinocath insertion required 6.3 +/- 3.2 minutes in group 1 versus 3.9 +/- 1.2 minutes in group 2 (P.01) with similar difficulties with catheter introduction. Perception of dural puncture was better in group 1 (P.05). There were significant intergroup differences in time to free flow of CSF through the catheter. In group 2, correct catheter positioning had to be confirmed by aspiration in 80% of cases (P.05). At the end of surgery, the catheters were removed, and there were no significant differences between groups. The anesthetic blocks were similar with both systems. Patient opinion of the technique did not differ between groups, and regression analysis did not show any differences between groups or correlation to any incident during performance of the technique. Globally, the anesthesiologists participating in the study considered both systems to be easy to use and adequate for continuous spinal anesthesia. With respect to the advantage afforded by a directional needle in orientating the catheter within the spinal canal, the Spinocath system-with a longer technique performance time than the standard approach-involves a success rate and incidence of technical problems similar to that of the conventional technique.

Retrobulbar anesthesia is considered a safe, effective local-regional technique for ocular surgery. However, local complications that can arise from needle trauma during injection, include retrobulbar hemorrhage, perforation of the ocular globe and occlusion of the artery and/or the central vein of the retina. Systemic complications, such as respiratory arrest, convulsions and cardiovascular collapse, have also been reported, and although they only occur in less than 1% of cases, they are potentially life threatening. We report two cases of intracranial diffusion after retrobulbar anesthesia and describe possible mechanisms that may contribute to its development.

Sedation is often needed for obtaining nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) images in children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of propofol administered by continuous infusion to non-intubated children for whom our hospital's usual method of sedation (oral chlorohydrate 75 mg/kg at a maximum dose of 2 g plus 4 hours sleep privation the night before) had failed. Deep sedation was induced in 37 ASA I-II children aged 4 and 14 year old, with 2.5 mg/kg propofol followed by 6 mg/kg/h in continuous infusion. An additional dose of 1 mg/kg was administered if the child moved, and the perfusion was reduced to 4 mg/kg if SpO2 fell below 95%. Apnea occurred after induction in 24% (n = 9), 29% (n = 11) required additional doses of propofol, and a tendency to hypercapnia was observed as the imaging procedure progressed. Sedation failed in one child, who required general anesthesia when opisthotonos presented after the induction dose. Awakening was early and satisfactory in all patients, with a score of 2 on the Ramsay scale 15 minutes after NMR. Deep sedation with propofol is a safe and effective method of performing NMR in a child for whom other methods of sedation have failed, provided the child is ASA I-II, monitoring is exhaustive and procedure is carried out by an anesthesiologist.

To compare the efficacy of ondansetron to that of metoclopramide, dehydrobenzperidol and placebo for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) after laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a double-blind random study.A total of 100 ASA I, II and III patients undergoing scheduled laparoscopic cholecystectomy were divided into 4 groups according to whether they received one of the following intravenously just prior to anesthetic induction: 1.25 mg dehydrobenzperidol (group D), 10 mg metoclopramide (group M), 4 mg ondansetron (group O) or 2 ml of saline (group P). All received general anesthesia with induction by thiopental, analgesia with fentanyl, muscle relaxation with atracurium and maintenance with oxygen-air and isoflurane. Episodes of nausea and/or vomiting during the first 24 h after surgery were recorded. Treatment was considered effective if no episodes occurred during this period.Nine of the 100 patients were excluded from the study. There were no significant differences in demographic variables among the 4 groups. The incidence of PONV was significantly greater in group P than in any of the other groups. There were no significant differences in PONV among groups D, M and O.Ondansetron provides safe, effective prophylaxis for PONV after laparoscopic cholecystectomy, but it is not superior to the antiemetic drugs usually used. Its use may be justified in patients in whom dehydrobenzperidol or metoclopramide are contraindicated.

Continuous and single dose spinal anaesthesia were compared in a prospective randomized fashion in 108 patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery. Continuous spinal anaesthesia was via a 20 gauge polyamide multiperforated catheter introduced through an 18 gauge Tuohy needle. Single-dose spinal anaesthesia was performed with a 24 guage x 103 mm Sprotte spinal needle. The mean local anaesthetic dose for the continuous technique was 38.4 (SD 16.5) mg as hyperbaric lignocaine 5%, and for the single-dose spinal anaesthesia 10.8 (SD 2.2) mg as hyperbaric bupivacaine 0.5%. Segmental levels reached with the initial dose did not differ significantly between the two groups. Mean time required to perform continuous spinal anaesthesia was 6.7 (SD 3.9) min, which was longer than for single dose 4.9 (SD 2.8) min (P0.05). The onset time and efficacy of anaesthesia, and the duration of the operation were similar in the two groups. Analgesia was inadequate in six patients who received continuous spinal anaesthesia (11%) and one patient who received single dose (2%) (P = 0.18). Hypotension was more frequent in those receiving single doses (P0.05). Caudal rotation of the outlet needle orifice to advance the catheter correlated with inadequate analgesia (P0.01, r = 0.38). There were no significant differences in the incidence of post-operative complications.

Following arthroscopic surgery of the knee, 60 ASA I-II patients were randomly allocated to three different groups (n = 20 each) in an attempt to establish the best postoperative analgesic protocol: 20 ml of bupivacaine (0.25%; 50 mg) intra-articularly (IA) (Group 1); continuous three-in-one lumbar plexus block using a catheter to administer 0.25 ml/kg of bupivacaine (0.25%; single-shot) plus continuous pump infusion of the same drug (0.03 ml.kg-1 x h-1 of 0.25% bupivacaine for 24 h) (Group 2); or 1 mg of morphine with 20 ml of saline IA (Group 3). The results were appraised in a double-blind manner, and the degree of postoperative pain was evaluated by visual analog scale (VAS) at constant hourly intervals for the first 24 h, by the incidence of secondary effects, and by the need for complementary analgesia. Group 2 (three-in-one) VAS values were lower 16 and 24 h after surgery and also globally (P0.05), with respect to the other two groups. Five patients in Groups 1 and 3 required complementary analgesia, while three patients in Group 1 suffered nausea. No other secondary effects were observed. We conclude that all three analgesic methods proved efficient, as reflected by the scant requirements for additional analgesics and the degree of expressed patient satisfaction. However, lumbar plexus block (three-in-one) with continuous bupivacaine infusion was most effective, and, although it constitutes an added technique, its scant complications and easy performance make its use advisable.