Background and Aim:The sonographic assessment of airway in the preoperative period has encouraging results in predicting difficult laryngoscopy.Materials and Methods:The prospective, observational study was conducted on 120 patients scheduled for elective surgery requiring general anesthesia and tracheal intubation. The depth of the pre-epiglottic space (Pre-E), the distance from the epiglottis to the midpoint of the distance between the vocal cords (E-VC) was measured sonographically. Similarly, hyomental distance ratio (HMDR) was sonographically measured with head in neutral and extended positions. The primary outcome was the efficacy of Pre E/E-VC, HMDR for predicting difficult laryngoscopy (Cormack–Lehane [CL] Grade 3, 4). The secondary outcome was to correlate these parameters to CL grading.Results:Difficult intubation was observed in 12.5% of patients. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) of Pre E/E-VC ratio was 1.33±0.335, 1.62±0.264 and 1.87±.243, 2.22±.29 for CL Grade 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively (P = 0.00). The mean ± SD of HMDR was 1.11±.35, 1.12±.29, and 1.07±.39, 1.04 ± 0.01 for CL Grade 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively (P = 0.00). Pre E/E-VC ratio of more than 1.77 cm had 82% sensitivity, specificity 80%, whereas HMDR less than1.085 had sensitivity 75% and specificity 85.3%, in predicting difficult laryngoscopy (P = 0.00).Conclusion:The sonographic measurement of the Pre E/E-VC ratio is a better predictor of CL grading as compared to HMDR. The noninvasive prediction of CL grading can be precisely done by Pre-E/E-VC ratio (range: 0–1.425 corresponds to CL Grade 1; 1.425–1.77 ≈ CL Grade 2; 1.77–1.865 ≈ CL Grade 3, more than 1.865 corresponds to CL Grade 4).

The ability of CT angiography to simultaneously image the arterial supply, venous drainage and parenchymal changes in a single examination makes it the imaging modality of choice for the diagnosis and preoperative assessment of pulmonary sequestration.

Background and Aims:Point of care ultrasound has the potential to become reliable airway assessment tool by accurate prediction of difficult laryngoscopy. We aimed to determine the feasibility of ultrasound in preoperative airway assessment.Methods:This prospective, observational study was conducted on 200 patients requiring general anaesthesia and tracheal intubation. The thickness of anterior soft tissue neck at the level of hyoid bone (DSHB), epiglottis (DSEM), and Pre-E/E-VC[depth of the pre-epiglottic space (Pre-E)/distance from the epiglottis to the midpoint of the distance between the vocal cords (E-VC)] were measured sonographically. The hyomental distance ratio (HMDR) was measured utilising distances with head in neutral and extended position. The primary outcome was the efficacy of the parameters in predicting difficult laryngoscopy[Cormack Lehane 3,4]. The secondary outcome was to correlate the parameters to CL grading.Results:Utilising receiver operating curves, cutoff value of HMDR for predicting difficult laryngoscopy was ≤1.0870 with sensitivity of 65%, specificity of 77%. The cutoff value, sensitivity andspecificity for Pre-E/E-VC were ≥1.785, 82.8% and 83.8%., respectively. The cutoff value of DSHB was ≥0.99 with sensitivity of 48% and specificity of 82%. The cutoff, sensitivity and specificity for DSEM were ≥1.615, 89.7%, and 64.8%, respectively. There was moderate positive correlations of DSHB, DSEM, and Pre-E/E-VC (r = 0.551 and 0.701, 0.787: P = 0.00), whereas moderate negative correlation observed with HMDR (r = -.0671: P = 0.00).Conclusion:The strong positive correlation of Pre-E/E-VC, DSEM, and moderate negative correlation of HMDR makes these ultrasound parameters reliable predictors for difficult laryngoscopy.

No abstract

Cardiac surgery involving cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in its conventional form involves many processes leading to free radical production, such as perioperative ischemia, reperfusion, circulation of whole body blood through the CPB circuit, hypothermia and acidosis. The red blood cells of a glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD)-deficient person are unable to scavenge these free radicals, resulting in haemolysis. Here, we describe the successful anaesthetic management of two G6PD-deficient children who underwent cardiac surgery, on and off CPB, without any obvious haemolytic reaction, followed by a discussion of the disorder, with specific consideration of perioperative management of such cases.

Pregnancy implantation within previous caesarean scar is one of the rarest locations for an ectopic pregnancy. Incidence of caesarean section is increasing worldwide and with more liberal use of transvaginal sonography, more cases of caesarean scar pregnancy are being diagnosed in early pregnancy thus allowing preservation of uterus and fertility. However, a delay in either diagnosis or treatment can lead to uterine rupture, hysterectomy, and significant maternal morbidity. We are reporting a rare case of first trimester caesarean scar pregnancy with viable fetus in the process of rupture, where uterine repair could be done, thus preserving the future fertility.

Twelve weed control treatments, viz. atrazine 1.0 kg/ha (2 days after sowing, DAS), metribuzin 0.25 kg/ha (2 DAS), oxyflourfen 0.15 kg/ha (2 DAS) alone and in integration with hoeing at 30 DAS, atrazine 1.0 kg/ ha (2 DAS) followed by (fb) atrazine 0.5 kg/ha (30 DAS), atrazine 1.0 kg/ha + pendimethalin 0.5 kg/ha (2 DAS), intercropping of cowpea and mung bean, hand weeding thrice (15, 30 and 45 DAS) and weedy check were tested in maize during 2012 and 2013 under Kangra valley conditions of Himachal Pradesh. Herbicides alone, in combination with hoeing and sequential application significantly reduced the count and dry weight of weeds and increased number of cobs, 100-grain weight and grain yield of maize over the intercropping treatments. Maize grain yield was negatively associated with weed count (r= -0.819**) and weed dry weight (r = -0.791**) and positively correlated with cobs number (r = 0.950**), cob length (r = 0.879**) and 100-seed weight (r = 0.836**). With unit increase in weed count, the grain yield of maize decreased by 75.5 kg/ha. Un-checked weed growth reduced the grain yield of maize by 60.7%. Based on the results, metribuzin 0.250 kg/ha, atrazine 1.00 kg/ha, atrazine 1.0 kg/ha fb atrazine 0.5 kg/ha (30 DAS), oxyflourfen 0.15 kg/ha, atrazine 1.0 kg/ha + pendimethalin 0.5 kg/ha and metribuzin 0.25 kg/ha fb hoeing (30 DAS) were recommended for effective management of diverse weed flora in maize under Kangra valley conditions of Himachal Pradesh.

Background and Aims:Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block has proven to be an effective component of multimodal analgesic regimens for a variety of abdominal procedures. Magnesium sulphate (MgSO4) N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist has the potential to be an ideal adjuvant in TAP block. We studied the efficacy of MgSO4 as an adjuvant to bupivacaine in TAP block in patients scheduled for total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH) under subarachnoid block (SAB).Methods:Sixty-five women belonging to American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status 1 or 2, aged between 35 and 70 years, scheduled for TAH under SAB were recruited. Patients in Group B (n = 32) received 18 mL 0.25% bupivacaine (45 mg) with 2 mL normal saline (NS), whereas those in Group BM (n = 33) received 18 mL 0.25% bupivacaine (45 mg) with 1.5 mL (150 mg) MgSO4 and 0.5 mL NS in the ultrasound (USG)-guided TAP block performed on each side after the completion of the surgery under SAB. They were evaluated for pain at 0, 2, 4, 6, 12 and 24 h, time to first rescue analgesic and duration of postoperative analgesia were noted.Results:The post-operative visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were lower in Group BM at 4, 6 and 12 h (P < 0.05). Mean duration of analgesia was significantly prolonged in Group BM with lesser requirement of rescue analgesic (P < 0.05) up to 12 h.Conclusion:MgSO4 (150 mg) as an adjuvant to bupivacaine in USG-guided TAP block reduces post-operative pain scores, prolongs the duration of analgesia and decreases demands for rescue analgesics.