title: [Complete neurological recovery in a patient with decerebrate rigidity following cardiac arrest from acute airway obstruction by advanced laryngeal cancer].
abstract: A 59-year-old man presented with severe dyspnea caused by advanced laryngeal cancer. As he had disregarded the dyspnea for a month, we did not have enough information about the extent of the tumor. The pulse oximeter showed 88% with oxygen inhalation. Because of severe dyspnea, he could not maintain supine position. Fiberoptic laryngoscopy showed tumor bulk obstructing airway directly. In the operating room, at first, a cricothyroid membrane puncture was attempted under local anesthesia but the procedure was abandoned when the patient became hypoxic and unconscious. Immediately tracheostomy and cardiopulmonary resuscitation were performed. Tumor bulk had displaced the trachea and surrounding structures, making a tracheostomy difficult. Nine min after loss of consciousness, a secure airway was obtained. However, he was still unconscious and developed characteristic decerebrate rigidity. Therefore the patient was treated with infusion of thiamylal and free radical scavenger and mild hypothermia therapy (bladder temperature 34 degrees C). On the fifth day of this treatment, after rewarming and discontinuation of thiamylal, the patient responded to command. He recovered with no neurological deficits. This case suggests that combined treatment with barbiturate, free radical scavenger, and mild hypothermia therapy is effective to minimize ischemic brain damage after cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Tsukuba University, Tsukuba 305-8575.
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Furukawa
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mizutani
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: Tetsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Toyooka
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003655:Decerebrate State / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced; D002534:Hypoxia, Brain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013840:Thiamylal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014139:Tracheostomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D013840:Thiamylal