LIGHTNING INJURIES IN PREGNANCY

A case report of a lightning strike causing serious injuries to a pregnant woman accompanied by a review of the literature highlights the rarity of the phenomenon. The documented cases to date have revealed significant maternal and foetal mortality. Due to small numbers, it is difficult to draw any definite conclusions about the mechanisms leading to foetal death. However, of the surviving newborns, no sequalae have been reported during the first months (

) .

PRE-OXYGENATION IN EMERGENCY INTUBATION

Maintaining adequate oxygenation is a prime concern during emergency tracheal intubation. The authors of this study (

) conclude that patients who are critically ill have little reserve and therefore poorly tolerate interruption of oxygen supply. Not unexpectedly, patients who were intubated in order only to provide airway protection were half as likely to develop hypoxaemia during intubation when compared with patients suffering from cardiopulmonary disease.

HOW FAST SHOULD WE GO?

Effective treatment of hypovolaemic shock continues to represent a difficult challenge. …