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Refeeding syndrome (RS) is defined as the fluid, electrolyte, metabolic, and clinical disturbances that occur after nutrition of patients who have been undernourished or fasting for a prolonged period. This syndrome has been recognized for several decades but is most often overlooked and underdiagnosed by health professionals. The authors report a RS in a patient subjected to prolonged fasting after being kidnapped by a criminal gang. Refeeding resulted in severe hypophosphatemia, neurological impairments, and hematologic disorders. The patient died due to septic shock with multiple organ failure secondary to aspiration pneumonia. In this case, the failure to recognize RS was decisive in the fatal outcome. Professionals must be aware of this disease to prevent and treat it properly.

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Mechanical ventilation is a fundamental treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Despite compliance with the recommendations of protective mechanical ventilation, it can results in serious complications including the pulmonary barotrauma. This is often manifested by a pneumothorax. This observation describes an unusual aspect of barotrauma which is pneumomediastinum. The authors also point out the role of chest imaging in the management of mechanical ventilation during ARDS.

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Viper envenomation can cause complex disorders of hemostasis. These disorders usually lead to hemorrhagic syndrome. The occurrence of thrombosis is exceptional. This case report describes a severe envenomation by the Saharan horned viper (Cerastes cerastes), complicated by unusual brain injuries: hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke. The physiopathologic link between this serious toxic coagulopathy and the multitude of toxins in the venom of Cerastes cerastes is highlighted.

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OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of a preoperative single dose of dexamethasone associated with penile block on pain after circumcision. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective randomized controlled study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty male children aged 2 to 5 years, scheduled for circumcision under general anaesthesia, combined with penile block, were randomized into two groups. The dexamethasone group received dexamethasone 0.4 mg/kg preoperatively. The control group received the same volume of normal saline. Data compared between two groups were: postoperative pain assessed by the Objective Pain Scale collected in the recovery room, at 8 and 24 hours postoperatively (h0, h8 and h24), time to first analgesic request and the quality of sleep on the first postoperative night. RESULTS: Pain scores at h0 were similar between the two groups. The dexamethasone group showed significantly lower pain scores at h8 [0 (0-1) vs. 2 (0-3); P=0.04] and h24 [0 (0-0) vs. 0 (0-1); P=0.02]. The time to first analgesic administration was also significantly delayed in the dexamethasone group compared to the control group (240 vs 180 min; P=0.035). The quality of sleep was also better in children in the dexamethasone group (P=0.018). CONCLUSION: This study showed that the combination of a preoperative single dose of dexamethasone 0.4 mg/kg with penile block significantly improves the quality of analgesia after circumcision.

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The occurrence of postoperative pneumocephalus is a common event and is often trivial. When the intracranial air volume is significant, it creates intracranial hypertension causing tension pneumocephalus. This case report describes the occurrence of tension pneumocephalus after surgical drainage of bilateral chronic subdural hematoma. The pneumocephalus was responsible for severe postoperative neurological deterioration. The attending physicians should be aware of the possibility of occurrence of such complication. Treatment and prevention of pneumocephalus should also be well known by the medical staff.

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PURPOSE: To investigate of predictor's factors of difficult venous access device in the operating room in elective surgery. METHODS: In a prospective study in central operating room, were included all patients scheduled for a surgical or diagnostic intervention. Were excluded all patients admitted with functional venous access. For each, were recorded patient's demographic characteristics (age, gender, ASA class, BMI), history (chemotherapy, prolonged ICU stay, hospitalization for more than five days), data from the clinical examination (presence of skin lesions, arteriovenous fistulas, burns, neurological deficits) and the type of operator (trainee, nurse, resident, senior). The difficulty was judged on the number of attempts required for successful venous access. Puncture was considered easier for a number of attempts to one to two and difficult if the number of attempts was greater than two. Predictor's factors were identified after univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: During one year (March 2008 to February 2009), form returns in 1500 were met, 1325 were usable. Venous catheterization was successful in 50.9% at the first attempt in 24.2% of patients at the second attempt and after three attempts in 18% of patients. Only 6.8% of patients required more than three attempts. A central venous catheter was required in seven patients. In multivariate analysis, chemotherapy (OR=4.54, 95% CI [2.92 to 7.03]; P<0.001), a nurse in training (OR=2.27, 95% CI [1.40 to 3.63]; P=0.001), a resident in training (OR=2.14, 95% CI [1.29 to 3.58]; P=0.003) and the presence of burns (OR=3.59, 95% CI [2.44 to 5.27]; P<0.001) were identified as independent predictors of difficulty of peripheral venous access. DISCUSSION: The optimization of venous access devices in the operating room through the search for predictors of difficulty.

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Through a clinical case of acute respiratory distress syndrome after infection with influenza virus H1N1 and a review of the literature the authors discuss treatment options, prognostic factors and the problems raised in support this pathology in Moroccan center.

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Anesthetic technique in parturient with syringomyelia and Arnold-Chiari malformation is variable depending on the teams. Difficult intubation is one of the risks when general anesthesia is opted. Different devices have been used to manage the difficult intubation in pregnant women. We report the use of Airtraq™ laryngoscope after failed standard laryngoscopy in a parturient with syringomyelia and Arnold-Chiari type I malformation.

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