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Achondroplasia is the most common form of dwarfism. Underdevelopment and premature ossification of bones result in characteristic craniofacial and spinal abnormalities resulting in difficulties in both - airway management and in regional anaesthesia. In this case report, we describe the anesthetic management of an achondroplastic dwarf for caesarean section.

Congenital Tracheoesophageal fistula is an abnormal communication between the trachea and the esophagus with or without esophageal atresia. We report a patient who was a preterm, low birth weight neonate with multiple congenital malformations like hypoplasia of the right lung and right pulmonary artery, dextroposition of the heart, patent ductus arteriosus and atrial septal defect. Interestingly, despite a normally draining right pulmonary vein, his chest X-ray showed "Scimitar sign".

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an uncommon autoimmune demyelinating disease of central nervous system characterized by periodic attacks of varied neurological symptoms eventually progressing to fixed neurological deficits and disability. The symptoms may get worsen with surgery, anaesthesia, emotional instability and increased body temperature.

A two years old child developed pneumomediastinum in the postoperative period after foreign body removel from oesophagus. He was managed conservatively without a thoracostomy tube.

Epidural abscess is a potentially life-threatening disease which can lead to medical-surgical emergency. Idiopathic spinal epidural abscess (SEA) with atypical manifestations is extremely rare. We describe such a case which led to severe neurological compromise and was not associated with any known risk factors.

A 55yr old hypertensive female patient with diagnosis of left sided diaphragmatic eventration was admitted for laproscopic repair. Postoperatively she was put on elective ventilation for next 18hrs. The patient complained of phonation difficulty and cough with expectoration following extubation. The patient was found to have bilateral adductor cord palsy on direct laryngoscopy.

Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease primarily affecting the axial joints manifesting as stiffnesss of the spine. Patient with ankylosing spondylitis is a challenge to anaesthesiologists in terms of airway management and neuraxial blocks. Modified paramedian approach (Taylor approach) of spinal anaesthesia can be used as an alternative to technically difficult cases in patients undergoing lower limb surgeries.

The use of hypothermia for therapeutic purposes is an established technique in children with complex congenital cardiac lesions and in adults for aortic arch reconstruction. Deep hypothermia decreases brain metabolism and oxygen requirement, whereas circulatory arrest provide bloodless surgical field.

We report a case a 11 year old girl who was referred to the hospital with destroyed lung due to an unusual foreign body, the patients own deciduous tooth. After pneumonectomy, the foreign body was found in the contra lateral lung with nearly catastrophic consequences. The aspects of lung isolation in pediatric age groups, the implications of a foreign object in the residual lung and the attempts to recover it are discussed.

Restrictive cardiomyopathy is a rare heart muscle disease resulting in impaired ventricular filling, low cardiac output and a propensity for development of heart failure with minimal fluid overload. Anaesthetizing such patients presents considerable challenges. We present the Anaesthetic management of a case of Idiopathic restrictive cardiomyopathy undergoing Laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Any major cardiac mass, by virtue of their anatomic location, is capable of producing a myriad of cardiac, embolic and systemic symptoms, sometimes with fatal consequences. We report a case of 37 year old patient with anterior wall MI with EF of 40%, and a large linear mass attached to apex in the left ventricular cavity. Coronary artery bypass grafting with left ventricular mass excision was done.

We present a case report where thoracic paravertebral block and brachial plexus block were used in a sick elderly patient with poor cardiopulmonary reserve, to cover a post traumatic raw area of the upper limb by raising flap from lateral abdominal wall. The residual raw area of abdomen was then covered with the split skin graft taken from thigh.

We report a case of interscalene brachial plexus block supplemented with superficial cervical plexus block in a patient with dilated cardiomyopathy with ejection fraction of 24% scheduled for surgery of fracture mid-shaft of clavicle.

Choanal atresia is an uncommon congenital anomaly of nose caused by failure of resorption of the bucco-pharyngeal membrane during embryonic development. Bilateral choanal atresia presents with severe respiratory distress and cyanosis at birth and is alleviated by crying. Surgery is the definitive treatment. We discuss successful management of a neonate with bilateral choanal atresia.

This case report is an interesting presentation of renal cell carcinoma with involvement of the right atrium. Radical Nephrectomy was done with right atrial thrombectomy under Cardiopulmonary Bypass. In this report we have tried to enumerate the anaesthetic implications of renal cell carcinoma with cavoatrial thrombus and its management during surgical resection.

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is characterized by dilatation and impaired systolic function of one or both ventricles. Malignant arrhythmias are the most common cause of death in DCM. Around 50% of cases of non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy are idiopathic. Anaesthetic management of these patients is quite challenging. The anaesthesiologist must have the knowledge of its pathophysiology, clinical features, diagnostic evaluations and the treatment modalities. This is a report of successful anaesthetic management of a patient with severe DCM just recovered from cardiac failure with septic foci undergoing splenectomy under general anaesthesia

Angioedema is a rare event which can lead to a life threatening airway emergency in a very short time and this necessitates urgent intervention. We present a case of potentially life-threatening postoperative swelling of the tongue, oro-pharynx and submandibular area that developed in a patient after giving second dose of antibiotic.

Hypercalcemia may prove to be deadly if decompensation occurs from a chronic state and if is compounded by fluid depletion then the situation could possibly get out of hand. We present a case highlighting the above mentioned statement in a case of emergency parathyroidectomy where the wide variations in blood pressure caused due to insufficient patient preparation led to very unstable intraoperative course

Left Atrial Myxomas present as a wide variety of symptoms. We describe one such case which initially presented with hemiparesis and was diagnosed as cerebral infarction. On retrospective work up, the main cause was found to be a left atrial myxoma. The myxoma has embolised to give rise to cerebral infarction. The LA myxoma was then successfully operated under general anaesthesia and Cardiopulmonary bypass.

Fluid resuscitation is the most critical intervention during initial phase of management in septic patients. We used some simple non invasive method which can be followed easily for estimation of fluid status and response to fluid therapy. We used ultrasonography of IVC & Echocardiography evaluation of velocity time integral through aortic valve flow to guide fluid administration as surrogate markers of CVP. Periodic estimation of lactate concentration to assess tissue oxygenation with aim of lactate reversal of 10% per hour was used in place of central venous oxygen saturation.

The neurofibromatosis is an autosomal dominant disease that has widespread effects on ectodermal and mesodermal tissue. The commonest member of the group is neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) which varies in severity but which can affect all physiological systems.

This is a case report of 40 year old patient, posted for dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR), who suffered ventricular tachycardia and pulmonary oedema, after sub mucosal intranasal application of epinephrine soaked pellets under general anesthesia.

A 3-year-old girl with Pierre Robin Syndrome, having complaints of respiratory distress in supine position and disturbance during sleep due to airway obstruction, was scheduled for adenoiodectomy. Gas induction without muscle relaxation was done and intubation was successful on fourth attempt. Five teeth were avulsed & one tooth was lodged in right main bronchus.

The world?s population is aging with proportionately larger increase at the upper extremes of age. Elderly patients not only exhibit age related renal changes and dysfunction, they also suffer from multiple comorbidities. Age related morphological changes in the kidney, functional alterations and accompanying comorbidities make elderly more vulnerable to AKI. Early diagnosis of AKI in these patients is vital as is its prevention. Awareness of the possibility of development of AKI, identifying patients at risk and its prompt recognition are keys to anaesthesia and critical care management of elderly patients.

Scoliosis is often associated with other congenital anomalies including cardiovascular. We report the successful management of two paediatric patients who presented with severe mitral regurgitation due to mitral valve prolapse and who also had scoliosis of their thoracic spine.

Central venous thrombosis, although rare, is a recognized cause of puerperium stroke. We present a case of successfully managed sagittal sinus thrombosis (SST) developed in a parturient after Caesarean delivery under spinal anaesthesia.

Although extremely rare, paraparesis can be a complication following spinal anaesthesia, in a patient with unrecognized spinal tumor. We describe a 45-year old female patient who underwent arthroscopy under spinal anesthesia and developed paraparesis in the postoperative period.

We describe anaesthesia in a child suffering from Treacher Collins Syndrome (TCS) posted for craniofacial reconstruction by mandibular distraction with external fixator

Adrenocortical tumors are rare in children. An 8 months, 8kg child with Cushingoid features with persistent severe hypertension was admitted in pediatric surgery ward.Blood pressure was controlled by ACE inhibitors & calcium channel blockers. Diagnosis of adrenal tumor was confirmed by abdominal CT Scan. We report the management of this patient posted for laparoscopy adrenalectomy

Scimitar syndrome, a rare congenital cardiopulmonary anomaly, consists of partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection of the right lung to the inferior vena cava, right lung hypoplasia and anomalous systemic arterial supply to the right lung. A 5 month old child with scimitar syndrome and pulmonary hypertension, underwent stenting of anomalous pulmonary vein, and coil embolization of systemic collateral artery to the right lung. Surgical ligation of large patent ductus arteriosus was performed to further decrease pulmonary artery pressure. Child was discharged after a successful combined therapy of surgical and transcatheter intervention.

Pheochromocytoma is a rare catecholamine secreting tumour arising from chromaffin cells in the adrenal medulla or in the extra adrenal sites. They may produce receptor mediated effect on myocardium causing pressure induced cardiomyopathy leading to left ventricle dilatation, hypokinesia and eventually cardiac failure. Anaesthetic management of a patient with pheochromocytoma and dilated cardiomyopathy posted for open adrenalectomy using proseal laryngeal mask is reported.

A 45 year male operated for meningioma developed breathlessness on 6th day after surgery and was found to have pulmonary embolism due to DVT in right leg. Despite of being on anticoagulants, patient developed thrombosis in left leg too. Fortunately we had placed a Greenfield filter in inferior vena cava; else a single embolus could be fatal. Follow up of patient for 6 months showed resolution of thrombus with no filter related complications.

Laryngeal Mask Airway is used for airway management in anaesthesia and in emergency medicine. Aspiration of gastric contents with LMA occurs in 2 per 10000 patients. It is almost similar to tracheal intubation in elective patients with the incidence of 1.25 per 10000 patients

Recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa) enhances haemostasis in individuals, with its predominant action limited to areas of injury, apparently without systemic activation of the coagulation cascade. We report here the successful use of rFVIIa in a patient with a history of polytrauma.

This is a case report of a 19 year young male presented with swelling and blackening of right upper limb and abdominal pain since 10 days. He was a known case of protein C and protein S deficiency on warfarin therapy, with deranged coagulation parameters posted for amputation fingers in emergency

Porphyrias are inherited disorders, each involving a specific enzyme in heme biosynthetic pathways. Acute intermittent porphyria, one of the hepatic porphyria is the most severe form of the disease, with gastrointestinal and neuropsychiatric manifestations. Proper management will dramatically improve the outcome in this otherwise debilitating and potentially life-threatening disease.

Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS) is a life threatening, neurological disorder most often caused by an adverse reaction to neuroleptic or anti psychotic drugs. A case of Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome who was posted for an incidental surgery and its anesthetic management is reported.

Annually about 6 million articles related to the field of medicine are published worldwide. However, only 15% of these are of any use. Average quality score of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is <50%.

Myasthenia gravis is an immunologic disorder characterised by polyclonal antibodies directed against nicotinic acetylcholine receptors at postneuromuscular junction. This case describes perioperative management of a patient suffering facial trauma with underlying myasthenia gravis with thymic mass

Advances in preoperative risk assessment, anesthetic techniques and medical therapy have served to decrease the frequency of cardiovascular complications associated with noncadiac surgery. Despite this, cardiovascular complications are the most treatable adverse consequences of noncardiac surgery. Detailed evaluation are therefore preliminary and the most important step in patient care. Perioperative management of a case is discussed here, in which, the occurrence of arrhythmias was anticipated but not expected.

Accidental hypermagnesemia is a common and often missed complication during treatment in a postpartum eclamptic patient. As symptomatic hypermagnesemia leads to neuromuscular junction blockade, neuromuscular junction monitoring serves the purpose of vigilant monitoring and prevents iatrogenic overdose of magnesium.

WPW syndrome commonly presents with supraventricular tachyarrhythmia. This case presented with ventricular tachycardia without any known illness and after revival it was diagnosed as having WPW syndrome.

Anaesthetizing a patient who has co-existing lung disease, difficult airway and obesity is a major anesthetic challenge. This case report describes the successful anesthetic management of such a patient under segmental epidural anaesthesia who underwent laparotomy for excision of a large mesenteric cyst

Chronic perineal pain is a debilitating condition with a significant impact on the quality of life. Often, the pain localised to the perineum can be a warning sign of acute or chronic tissue injury to the abdominal and pelvic organs or structures,with no identifiable pathology. The management of a case of perineal pain with combination of treatment modalities is presented.

Continuation of antihypertensives preoperatively and their influence on intraoperative hemodynamics is a big concern among anesthesiologists. The Peri Operative Ischaemia Study Evaluation (POISE) trial showed a significant reduction of myocardial infarction, need for coronary revascularization and the incidence of atrial fibrillation with metoprolol started 2-4 hours prior to surgery but a significant increase in total mortality and clinically significant hypotension and bradycardia. This is a case report of intraoperative severe bradycardia in a young patient on recently started beta blocker.

Malposition of central venous catheter is well known technical complication. A case with unusual placement of right subclavian vein catheter into contralateral subclavian vein, when inserted through infraclavicular approach, is reported.

Thalassemias are genetically determined heterogeneous group of disorders with reduced production of globin. We report anaesthetic management of a case of ß-Thalassemia syndrome for LSCS.

Brachial plexus block is a useful anaesthetic technique for the upper limb surgery using Bupivacaine hydrochloride as anaesthetic agent for the block. A case of extraordinary prolonged block after administration of 0.375 % plain bupivacaine by the supraclavicular route is reported.

Drug errors are common in Anaesthetic practice. It may be either syringe swap, ampoule swap, wrong drug errors, and wrong dose errors. Most anaesthetists experience at least one drug error in their career. We discuss a case of wrong dose of Morphine injected intrathecally

The usage of rubber and its products are not uncommon in various walks of life. A continuous exposure or contact may sensitize the human body, causing reactions from mild to fatal. Despite the availability of the literature, medical personnel are still unaware of the implications of the use of latex materials.

Hypocalcemia is a known complication following total thyroidectomy which usually manifests about 36 hours postoperatively. We describe the rare manifestation of hypocalcemia as refractory hypotension and its successful management following total thyroidectomy

We present a case of massive pheochromocytoma planned for surgical resection. The case was taken up for surgery after preoperative catecholamine blockade and intravascular volume resuscitation. The major challenge was profound hypotension after tumour resection which was refractory to catecholamine therapy but responded successfully to the application of vasopressin therapy

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is an uncommon but life threatening disease that affects women in the last month of pregnancy or within the first five months after delivery. Very few Indian case reports are available. However, it is essential for the practitioner dealing with such population to have a high degree of clinical suspicion for early diagnosis and management. Echocardiography is used to diagnose this entity and monitor the therapy.

Scorpion sting is a major health problem in underdeveloped countries like India. It may present with mild local pain to severe systemic symptoms and need of I.C.U. care and mechanical ventilation.Scorpion envenomation presents with increased systemic vascular resistance and hypertension, but in cases of severe envenomation it may present with hypotension and pulmonary oedema

Cardiogenic shock continues to be the leading cause of death in patients of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) despite improvement in coronary care. Conventional medical therapy is associated with an 80-90% mortality rate. The presence of multi organ failure makes the prognosis worse

Laparoscopy which was once confined to gynaecologists has now become a technique of choice for almost all abdominal surgeries and even demanded by majority of patients. Key-hole surgery has become the norm today. Endoscopic procedures help with visualization and manipulations of all organs including thoracoscopy, neuro and spine endoscopy. After the first diagnostic laparoscopy in 1910 by Hans Christian Jacobaeus, we have come a long way that there is hardly any contraindication for laparoscopic surgery. In 1999 Lobe et al. reported the first repair of oesophageal atresia entirely thoracoscopically, this was accomplished on a 2-3 kg neonate.

Gastric tube placement for enteral feeding and gastric drainage is very commonly performed procedure in the ICU. The placement may sometimes be difficult or impossible in intubated and paralyzed patients due to impaction and/or coiling in the mouth. The recognition of the site/s of impaction and methods to overcome them have been described variously in literature with different degrees of success. Knowledge and practice of these alternative methods can be sometimes of great help particularly while facing difficulty

One of the objectives of modern anaesthesia is to ensure adequate depth of anaesthesia to prevent awareness without inadvertently overloading the patients with potent drugs.

Acute fatty liver of pregnancy, characterized by microvesicular fatty infiltration of hepatocytes, is a disorder which is unique to human pregnancy. We describe the successful intensive care management of a parturient who was admitted with the signs and symptoms of acute fatty liver of pregnancy associated with preeclampsia

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Middle ear microsurgery is one of the several types of surgeries where bloodless operative field is desired, and is usually achieved through deliberate hypotension

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Moyamoya disease or syndrome is an unusual form of chronic, progressive occlusive cerebrovascular disorder, first described in Japan and now reported from all over the world that usually presents as transient, recurrent hemispheric or ischaemic attacks ? strokes, mostly in children, during the first decade of life

Managing a patient with Parkinson's disease presenting for anaesthesia is relatively rare and can be challenging, especially in the developing world. A patient with Parkinson's disease who had total abdominal hysterectomy and salpingoophorectomy is presented. The anaesthetic management options are discussed

Postoperative lung complications(PPC) may occur in up to 20% in emergency surgeries. We present a case of 73 year old male who presented with an entire left lung collapse in the postoperative period after repair of duodenal perforation despite adequate analgesia,aggressive chest physiotherapy and deep breathing exercises

For nearly 3,000 years, it has been recognized that apparently healthy infants could die suddenly and unexpectedly during their sleep .Throughout most of history, it was believed that these infants somehow suffocated, implying that these babies died a respiratory death. Nearly one infant per thousand live births continues to die suddenly and unexpectedly from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

COPD is a common respiratory problem amongst the masses and when these patients present for a surgical procedure, they may require high tidal volumes, generating high inspiratory pressures during one lung ventilation with an increased probability of lung injury,particularly in patients with lung carcinoma resulting in a bad prognosis

Carotid body tumours (CBTs) or chemodectoma are rare non- chromaffin paragangliomas arising from the chemoreceptor cells found at the carotid bifurcation. About 1000 cases have been reported in the literature

A known case of testicular tumour underwent bilateral orchiectomy under spinal anaesthesia. He developed headache and altered sensorium postoperatively. CT scan head showed secondaries in the brain with intra-cerebral bleed

A five year old female with complex congenital heart disease developed gastrointestinal hemorrhage following VSD closure, RV-PA conduit, ligation of aneurysmal right MAPCA and clipping of modified pott-shunt. All conservative measures from cold saline lavage to left gastric artery embolisation were tried but none was successful

Conn's syndrome or primary hyperaldosteronism is a disease of the adrenal gland involving excess production of aldosterone from zona glomerulosa. It can also be caused by adrenal tumours or an enlarged gland due to hyperplasia.

Undiagnosed cerebral and spinal meningiomas can give rise to grave post anaesthetic and postoperative complications. Here we present two such cases in which paraparesis after a spinal anaesthetic occurred in one case and medullary coning resulting in respiratory failure and death in the second case.

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Patients of Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) are difficult to intubate as a result of cervical spine rigidity; leading to inadequate extension of head and nonalignment of oral/pharyngeal and laryngeal planes. They are usually managed along the awake limb of difficult airway algorithm.

Morbid obesity is a problem not only for the person himself but also to the whole treating medical team. The problem associated with bariatric surgery for these morbid persons are multifactorial even if it is an elective routine procedure with other wise healthy lungs.

Anaesthesia for the deaf-mute could be a taxing experience for the anaesthetist due to ineffective communication. The Bispectral index (BIS) monitor has been validated to measure the hypnotic component of anaesthesia. We report the use of the BIS monitor in the anaesthetic management of a deaf-mute undergoing general anaesthesia for myomectomy.

Airway obstruction is the primary mechanical emergency of respiratory system in patients with malignancy. The airway patency relies on a spontaneously breathing technique. We report airway management in a patient with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) that was complicated by spontaneous bleeding in oro-pharyngeal tissues.

Pain, either acute or chronic, is defined as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience that is associated with the potential for real acute or ongoing tissue damage. It is an extremely complex process that involves interrelated neurotransmitter and neuromodulator systems in ascending and descending spinal pathways and supraspinal sites.

We report the anaesthetic management of a female patient with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) presented for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. In order to avoid prolonged recovery; we chose to use total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) with propofol and remifentanil. No neuromuscular blocking agent was used.

We describe a case of a young woman, operated for perforation peritonitis who was admitted postoperatively in ICU for deranged consciousness level, hypotension and inadequate respiration. She developed symmetrical peripheral gangrene (SPG) supposedly due to multifactorial association of shock, septicemia, DIC and Dopamine.

Patient presenting for surgical procedures of the spine are a diverse population undergoing a wide variety of operative procedures and present diverse challenge to the anesthesiologists. The anesthetic management depends on the operative site; spine pathology; surgical approach and the anesthesiologists experience & expertise.

One of the natures gift to mankind is rubber. The usage of rubber and its products are of daily occurrence in modern life. It is not uncommon to have a regular daily exposure to rubber products from birth in all walks of life.

Brain tumours constitute the majority of neurosurgical conditions that present for elective operations. The nature of the lesions varies from benign tumours like meningiomas and schwannomas to highly malignant tumours like glioblatomas. About 80% of the tumors are located in the supratentorial compartment and about 20% in the posterior fossa.

Science and technology have offered medical therapies the potential to treat serious illnesses where once the medical professionals could only provide comfort. Physicians feel the need to aggressively fight against illness and death. Many physicians and health care workers have come to believe that they have failed if they do not save the patient from death. We frequently attempt to prolong life at all cost. Unfortunately we often only succeed in prolonging the dying process.

The points of thought are why common people divert to use the Ayurvedic; Chinese and other herbal medicines? Though it is used all over the world; in India, its use is much more because of their easy accessibility; no expert consultation required, are considered safe to use and also because primary health care services fall short of peoples? need both in qualitative and quantitative terms. We should make all these easily marketed ayurvedic, and other herbal medicines FDA approved and increase public awareness about pros and cons of their uses. The common belief that anything natural is safe is not correct.

Background: Opitz-Frias syndrome also known as hypertelorism-hypospadias syndrome or G-syndrome was first reported by Opitz & co-workers in 1969. Syndrome is inherited as X-linked or autosomal dominant trait with male sex limitation. This is a developmental defect with multiple malformations. Interestingly, the birth defects are the defects of midline structures, i.e. telecanthus; hypospadias; congenital heart defects; laryngotracheoesophageal (LTE) defects; cleft lip and palate etc.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a rare form of heart failure of unknown etiology occurring during pregnancy or within five months of postpartum period1-3; with a potential for fatal outcome in about 20 percent. It has an incidence of 1 in 30004;5 patients and 1 in 30,000 deliveries6. The majority recover partially or completely, with some, requiring heart transplant. Although the advocacy for these patients is not to conceive, because of an increased risk of recurrence of cardiomyopathy with worsening signs and symptoms; it is not uncommon for these women to have subsequent pregnancies in societies that do not encourage family planning measures. These women with subsequent pregnancies do pose a challenge to their anesthetic management.

A 10 year old girl presented with diminished vision in both eyes for 1.5 months & was diagnosed to be a case of bilateral spherophakia with right subluxated lens. Patient had history of convulsions associated with fever at the age of one year whereupon there was evidence of mental retardation .On further investigation, patient was found to have homocystinuria as confirmed by urine chromatography.

Antibiotic prophylaxis before surgical procedures is commonly practiced. Hypersensitivity reactions to antibacterial drugs are most feared complications; which have varying grades of presentation. Skin testing are commonly applied to detect allergy but that can have false negatives. We report a case of severe anaphylaxis leading ultimately to fatal outcome after negative skin testing. Prior history of allergy of any kind and exposure to ceftriaxone was excluded. Even the best antishock management could not help. This observation clearly demonstrates the limit of screening tests for the diagnosis of sensitization against drugs.

The most important role of an anaesthetist in the conduct of general anaesthesia is endotracheal intubation and confirmation of its correct placement. Failure of this can happen and it mostly occurs due to misplacement; endobronchial intubations; disconnection; leaks; and obstruction either in the tube or in the circuit.

Maternal oxygen supplementation during regional anaesthesia for caesarean section has been routinely practiced for many years. It was Crawford who advocated the ?use of maternal oxygen therapy until the time of delivery? in the 1984 edition of his book on obstetric anaesthesia. This opinion of Crawford established the practice of supplementing oxygen in all elective caesarean sections (1), the basic aim being to prevent maternal haemoglobin desaturation and improve maternal and neonatal oxygenation and overall neonatal outcome.

It is a mode of renal replacement therapy for hemodynamically unstable ;fluid overloaded; catabolic septic patients and finds its application in management of acute renal failure especially in the critical care /intensive care unit setting. The popularity of ?slow continuous therapies? for the treatment of critically ill patients with renal failure is increasing. The techniques most commonly used are slow continuous hemodialysis and hemodiafiltration. Slow continuous hemofiltration and slow continuous ultrafiltration also are commonly used.

A 45 years old male patient was diagnosed as a case of motor neuron disease. With in four years he became paralyzed and bed ridden. Due to severe respiratory tract infection, the patient developed respiratory failure and was placed on ventilator. Later on the infection was successfully treated but the patient could not be removed from the ventilator because of the paralysis of respiratory muscles. It was obvious that the patient would require life long ventilatory support so the same was arranged at the patient?s home and he was discharged from the hospital after nine months. Now, for the past six years the patient is on ventilatory support.

Iontophoretic drug delivery is now an accepted method of drug therapy which is gaining wide popularity especially in the area of pain relief. This technique provides a means for regulated non-invasive systemic administration of minute amounts of drug transdermally which is especially useful in patients who require long-term medication as in chronic pain, diabetics, hypertensives, rheumatoids etc. It negates the need for needle sticks, the pain and anxiety involved and minimises the trauma and risks of infection associated with it. This mode of drug delivery is simple, versatile, effective, reliable and can be tailored for individual needs.

Sweating is a physiological response of the body for thermal regulation influenced by the change in skin temperature (1) mediated by sympathetic nervous system. In about 1% of the population, the sympathetic nervous system is overactive, causing certain areas of the body to sweat at inappropriate times and beyond what is necessary to maintain thermal regulation. This disorder is known as primary hyperhidrosis (2). The definition of hyperhidrosis as excessive sweating is subjective. It is defined quantitatively as the production of more than 100 mg of sweat in 1 axilla over 5 minutes (3). Excessive sweating (hyperhydrosis) or its absence (anhydrosis) are distressing, often attributed to organic causes requiring investigation and treatment (4). Hyperhidrosis may be focal or generalized. Focal hyperhidrosis is most often essential, or idiopathic, and results from a neurogenic overactivity of the sweat glands in the affected area.

Negative pressure ventilators (Tank and Cuirass ventilators) were the only non-invasive methods of assisting ventilation for many years mainly for ventilating large number of victims of Polio during their acute illness. In 1980s it was recognized that delivery of continuous positive airway pressure by close fitting nasal masks for treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea could also be used to deliver an intermittent positive pressure. This was followed by improvements in the interface and establishment of role of NIMV in patients of COPD. The use of NIMV has increased in last decade in various conditions to avoid complications of intubation.

The ultimate goal of minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting is to perform the anastamosis entirely endoscopically. Significant technological advances have enabled the development of minimally invasive endoscopic operative techniques in a variety of disciplines. These procedures are ultimately aimed at reducing patient morbidity, length of hospital stay, and overall costs.

A successful renal transplant in women of child bearing age is on an increase in recent years. A successful renal transplantation reverses the altered reproductive and sexual function of the recipient. The resumption of regular menstruation and ovulation correlate closely with the level of function achieved by the graft (1-3). These parturients present a unique challenge with their altered physiology and immunosuppression associated with the desire to have a normal child, to the obstetrician, the nephrologist and the anaesthesiologist. The anaesthesiologist is called to meet the challenges of the management at parturition for a successful outcome.

Central nervous system (CNS) trauma is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality all over the world. In USA, each year, 500,000 patients with head injury are seen in the emergency department and of these more than 50,000 die from their injuries (1). Major cause of this menace is cerebral ischemia that ensues minutes to hours after the primary head injury. This is commonly known as secondary injury. Secondary brain lesions resulting from cerebral metabolic and hemodynamic reactions can be prevented by neurocritical care management. It must be initiated as early as possible, ideally in a prehospital setting.

Obesity means excessive body fat. The term obese, derived from Latin word means fattened by eating. The amount of fat tissue may increased to such an extent that mental and physical health is affected and life expectancy is reduced.

Tissue injury results in SIR, release of mediators leading to increase in vascular permeability and tissue edema. On top of this, a concurrent haemorrhage causes further reduction in intravenous volume. The initial fluid redistribution that occurs following trauma is related more to the degree of tissue trauma and ischemia than to blood loss per se. With mild hypovolemia, blood in the venous capacitance vessels is mobilised to ensure adequate venous return.

India receives about 10 lakhs new cancer patients every year. As statistical data suggest approximately 60-80% patients, when they are diagnosed, are advanced cases and hence incurable. Often, their major symptom is moderate to severe pain. According to present estimates about 56% cancer patients in India require relief of symptoms (palliative care) at any given time, however, only 28% are provided some sort of palliative care before they die. There is an immediate need to address this issue at all levels. Clinicians should reassure patients and their families that most pain could be relieved safely & effectively. Clinicians should assess patients and provide optimal relief throughout the course of illness. Health professionals should be properly educated about pain and its management in the treatment plan and encourage patients to be active participants in pain management. State regulatory bodies should not hamper the supply and appropriate use of opioid analgesics for cancer pain.

Alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonists are being increasingly used in anaesthesia and critical care as they not only decrease sympathetic tone and attenuate the stress responses to anesthesia and surgery; but also cause sedation and analgesia.

Pain is among the most common symptom in cancer patients. It is estimated that 4 million cancer patients suffer pain globally and for most of these patients pain is not satisfactorily relieved. For over a decade; World Health Organization (WHO) has taken a lead in establishing a consensus for a scientifically valid method of relieving cancer pain that is relatively simple; inexpensive and easy to apply at community level; known as the WHO Three step Analgesic Ladder method.

Since the first transesophageal echocardiography examination in 1975 using M-mode imaging with mechanical scanner contained in oil bag having limited control of direction; there have been a lot of modifications and technical advances in the equipment.

According to UNAIDS/WHO estimates, 11 men, women and children around the world were infected per minute during 1998 (nearly six million). More than 95% of all HIV infected people now live in the developing world, which has likewise experienced 95%of all deaths to date from AIDS. In India, the first HIV positive case was reported in 1986.The magnitude of disease has been found to be varied in various parts of the country. Maharashtra accounts for close to 50% of reported HIV and AIDS cases in India. Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh Karnataka and Manipur are the other hard hit states.

Back pain is the second most frequent chronic pain problem, just after headache, as a reason for patients to seek medical help. Suffering from back pain ranges from transient discomfort to frank incapacitation. Approximately 80% of the adult population will suffer from pain related to the lower back during their lifetime. The Agency for Health Care Policy (AHCPR) document states that 90% of patients with acute back pain are better in about one month (spontaneous recovery), but more than half who recover from a first episode of acute pain will have another episode within a few years.

In the last hundred years Continuous Spinal Anaesthesia (CSA) has been in and out of anaesthesiology practice at least three times, and of late the fourth resurgence is around the corner. The practice of CSA has remained controversial mainly because of neurological complications associated with it. HP Dean1 described this technique initially in 1906, about seven years after the first reports of spinal anaesthesia. However it was not accepted into practice till. WT Lennin2 rediscovered it in 1940 and described the procedure by using a special malleable needle for this purpose.

Patients with cardiac disease presenting for noncardiac surgery are at increased risk of intraoperative complications such as myocardial infarction (MI); cardiac arrhythmias; pulmonary insufficiency, and death. It is well established that the number of patients with cardiac disease presenting for anaesthesia and surgery are on the increase.

Cancer is an increasing health problem. Each year, nine million people develop cancer, and by the year 2030, this figure is expected to have risen to 15 million. Two thirds of these cases of cancer will be in the developing countries, which have only 5% of the global cancer control resources. Cancer pain relief was recognized as major public health problem in the mid 1980s. Pain is reported at diagnosis in 20-50% of cancer patients, and is experienced by at least 75% of those with advanced cancers. Worldwide at least 4 million people suffer from cancer pain every day.

The eclamptic patients pose an uncommen yet foreboding challenge for the obstetric anaesthesiologist. Selection of regional anaesthesia for severely pre-eclamptic patients requiring caesarian section is still controversial. In this review, we attempt to outline the advantages and disadvantages of various anaesthetic techniques used for severely pre-eclamptic patients undergoing caesarian section.

The oesophagus is a muscular tube measuring 23-25cm in adults. It enters the superior mediastinum posterior to the trachea; continues down posterior to the pericardium and left atrium and anterior to the descending aorta. Its right side is adjacent to the right mediastinal pleura and lung; and on the left side lies the left mediastinal pleura and lung; along with common carotid artery; subclavian artery and descending aorta. There is a sphincter at both the proximal and distal ends of the oesophagus.