C D Oliver | PubMed Health

PubMed2002

Unexplained fitting in three parturients suffering from postdural puncture headache.

We present the cases of three women who, within a 6-month period, suffered post-partum generalized tonic-clonic seizures. All had received an epidural in labour for analgesia and were subsequently diagnosed as suffering from postdural puncture headache. All were treated for that headache with Synacthen and one also received sumatriptan before her seizures. All made satisfactory recoveries and were discharged home. None displayed classical patterns suggestive of pre-eclampsia, meningitis, cortical venous thrombosis or any other pathological process that might explain these events adequately, and the specific precipitating factors were left unidentified.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Surgery for a fractured femur and elective ICU admission at 113 yr of age.

Disability and medical dependence increase with age and as the percentage of the population over 80 yr old increases, demands on our healthcare budget will likewise grow. Clinical decision making should always balance the physiological state of the patient against the likely prognosis of the pathological state. Age may influence this decision-making process in an indirect way, as a perceived measure of physiological status, but whether age alone may be used as criteria for the type or degree of clinical intervention is a contentious point. In light of these issues, we present a woman of 113 yr, admitted to hospital with a fractured shaft of femur. The patient underwent surgery and was electively admitted to the intensive care unit for postoperative treatment. She survived surgery and several complications and was subsequently returned to the community where she celebrated her 114th birthday.

Aged↗