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Byline: Pushpa. Ture, Safiya. Shaikh, Shanta. Hungund, S. Roopa Introduction Heterotaxy syndromes refer to disorders of lateralisation whereby the arrangement of abdominal and thoracic viscera differ from normal and are [...]

Management of homicidal cut-throat injuries requires a multi-disciplinary approach. The role of an anesthesiologist in instituting an airway using an endotracheal intubation or tracheostomy before wound exploration and repair of transected tissues, is challenging, as, such injuries are most of the time associated with distortion of the normal anatomy of the airway. We hereby report a case of 60-year-old lady diagnosed as homicidal cut-throat injury with vocal cords exposed externally and injury of thyroid cartilage and pharyngeal muscles. Patients with cut-throat injury may present with airway compromise, aspiration, and acute blood loss with hypoxemia because of injury to the airway and major vessels. Securing an airway becomes the first priority in patients with cut-throat injuries. It could be done by an endotracheal intubation, cricothyroidotomy, or by an emergency tracheostomy. For the effective management of patients with a cut-throat injury, there is a need for a multidisciplinary approach by a team consisting of an otorhinolaryngologist, anesthesiologist, and a psychiatrist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reexpansion pulmonary edema is a rare form of acute lung injury following rapid re inflation of collapsed lung parenchyma. It can rarely be associated with anaesthesia and repair of traumatic diaphragmatic hernia. We report a case of reexpansion pulmonary edema (REPE) occurring during repair of traumatic diaphragmatic hernia in an adult male. He was a victim of occupational trauma and presented to casualty with complaints of dyspnoea and left sided chest discomfort soon after the injury. Oxygen supplementation was administered via simple face mask to compensate for his hypoxemia. Chest radiograph revealed left diaphragmatic hernia and he was taken up for surgery. Under general anaesthesia with two lung ventilation and epidural analgesia via a thoraco-abdominal approach reduction of abdominal contents with diaphragmatic repair was undertaken. Intraoperatively within an hour of lung expansion he developed pulmonary edema. In spite of altered ventilation perfusion dynamics in the lateral decubitus position he was successfully treated on table. He recovered after a couple of days of invasive ventilatory support. Prompt diagnosis and treatment can reduce the lethality of this condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]