Ventricular tachyarrhythmias – Ventricular fibrillation (VF) and Ventricular tachycardia (VT) account for most of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrests. Defibrillation is the specific therapy for VF/pulseless VT. Time to defibrillation is the most important determinant of survival from these cardiac arrests. Automated external defibrillator (AED) has largely replaced the conventional defibrillator in Basic life support (BLS) programmes for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. AED use by trained laypersons in the community as part of Public Access Defibrillation (PAD) programmes has significantly reduced time to defibrillation and increased survival. AED is now being stipulated for home use in people at high risk of sudden cardiac death. AED placement is also recommended in all areas of hospital. Physicians and Intesivists should strive to familiarize the medical fraternity in our country with AED use so that PAD programmes can be launched in the near future.

Much progress has been made in the therapy of pediatric HIV infection, which has been transformed from a usually fatal disease into that of a chronic disease model. Early, aggressive therapy with the goal of complete suppression of viral replication (undetectable plasma virus) should be the therapeutic goal, but this new, more hopeful environment has been created at the cost of complexity and compromises in quality of life. The rapid pace of new developments and therapeutic complexities argue strongly for care in specialized centers or, at least, frequent consultation. Principles of therapy in the pediatric intensive care unit remain unchanged. Efforts are ongoing to develop simpler, more effective therapeutic regimens that suppress and ultimately eradicate infection and that stimulate immune reconstitution and reduces need for frequent hospitalization.

We describe the management of a case of refractory status epilepticus evolving in post-partum eclampsia. The seizures were refractory to therapy with benzodiazepines, MgSO4, barbiturates and phenytoin, but responded rapidly to propofol infusion.