Ashutosh Kaushal

Pain following Craniotomy: Reassessment of the Available Options

Pain following craniotomy has frequently been neglected because of the notion that postcraniotomy patients do not experience severe pain. However a gradual change in this outlook is observed because of increased sensitivity of neuroanaesthesiologists and neurosurgeons toward acute postcraniotomy pain. Multiple modalities exist for treating this variety of pain each with its own share of advantages and disadvantages. However, individually none of these modalities has been proclaimed as the best and applicable universally. A considerable amount of dispute remains to ascertain the appropriate therapeutic regimen for treating postcraniotomy pain in spite of numerous trials using different drugs and their combinations. This review aims to highlight the genesis, characteristics, and different strategies that are undertaken for management of acute postcraniotomy pain. Chronic postcraniotomy pain which can be debilitating sequelae is also discussed concisely.

Anesthesia for an achondroplastic individual with coexisting atlantoaxial dislocation.

Achondroplasia is a congenital, disfiguring condition which is the most common form of short-limbed dwarfism. Defective cartilage formation is the hallmark of this condition, which results in a wide spectrum of skeletal abnormalities including spinal defects. Various other systems such as cardiac, pulmonary, and neurological can be simultaneously affected adversely including airway defects. Anesthetic management of such individuals is complicated because of their multisystem affliction. Concomitant atlantoaxial dislocation can further amplify the difficulty during the administration of anesthesia in such patients. We report the successful anesthetic conduct of such a patient with the positive outcome.

Contemporary social network sites: Relevance in anesthesiology teaching, training, and research

Objective: The phenomenal popularity of social networking sites has been used globally by medical professionals to boost professional associations and scientific developments. They have tremendous potential to forge professional liaisons, generate employment,upgrading skills and publicizing scientific achievements. We highlight the role of social networking mediums in influencing teaching, training and research in anaesthesiology. Background: The growth of social networking sites have been prompted by the limitations of previous facilities in terms of ease of data and interface sharing and the amalgamation of audio visual aids on common platforms in the newer facilities. Review: Contemporary social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr,Linkedn etc and their respective features based on anaesthesiology training or practice have been discussed. A host of advantages which these sites confer are also discussed. Likewise the potential pitfalls and drawbacks of these facilities have also been addressed. Conclusion: Social networking sites have immense potential for development of training and research in Anaesthesiology. However responsible and cautious utilization is advocated.

Paediatric Intravenous Splint: A Cause of Pressure Injury during Neurosurgery in Prone Position

Splint application avoids unwanted movement of limbs and kinking of intravenous catheters in infants, allowing free flow of intravenous fluids. However, if placed in contact with dependent surfaces during prone surgeries, they have the propensity to cause inadvertent pressure injuries. This occurs due to the weight of the limb and continuous friction and is augmented by a rise in the local temperature and perspiration. We wish to share our experience of such an unintentional injury caused by a paediatric intravenous splint.

Unconventional Method of Repairing the Inflation Line of Ambu Laryngeal Mask Airway

The Ambu® Aura40™ reusable laryngeal mask airway (LMA) is a supraglottic airway device that features a built-in curve replicating the natural human anatomy, facilitating correct insertion. In addition, it has a reinforced tip, extra soft cuff, colour-coded pilot balloon and convenient depth marks. Although, the manufacturer’s recommendations state that it can be steam autoclaved up to 40 times for sterilisation prior to reuse, its safety regarding continuing usage is determined by its ability to pass the pre-use test rather than the specific number of times it has been used (1).

An unusual cause of unilateral facial injuries caused by horseshoe headrest during prone positional craniovertebral junction surgery.

Pressure injuries are an accepted complication of prone positioning during the neurosurgical procedures. Horseshoe headrest are intended to reduce the incidence and severity of such injuries by allowing limited areas of contact between the skin of dependent areas of contact and the supporting surfaces. We report a case where a patient positioned prone over a horseshoe headrest developed inadvertent unilateral facial pressure injuries following a 6-h long craniovertebral junction (CVJ) surgery. We attempt to highlight this complication, analyze its causation, and briefly review the existing literature related to similar reported injuries.

Convulsions following rapid ceftazidime administration for preinduction antibiotic prophylaxis during neurosurgical procedure.

Ceftazidime is a widely used antibiotic with broad spectrum activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative microbes and is used prophylactically in neurosurgical patients prior to surgery. Neurotoxicity is a recognized complication of ceftazidime use but is reported predominantly after repeated administration in patients with impaired renal status. We encountered a patient with an intracranial tumor who developed generalized convulsions following a single dose of ceftazidime, which was infused rapidly and attempt to provide an explanation of this uncommon occurrence.