Apnoea and unconsciousness after apparent recovery from alfentanil-supplemented anaesthesia

Several cases of recurrent respiratory depression progressing to apnoea and unconsciousness after apparent recovery from sufentanil have been reported recently. Alfentanil has the shortest elimination half-time of the narcotics used in anaesthesia, suggesting that it should be the least likely to cause postoperative respiratory depression. A case of recurrent unconsciousness and respiratory arrest after apparent recovery from alfentanil-isoflurane-nitrous oxide anaesthesia is reported. A total dose of 137 micrograms.kg-1 alfentanil was given over a 3.25-hr period to a 45-year-old female undergoing partial gastrectomy. Naloxone, 0.16 mg IV, rapidly restored spontaneous ventilation and consciousness. This case demonstrates that apnoea and unconsciousness can also recur after apparent recovery from alfentanil. Recovery room personnel should be aware of this phenomenon. Earlier detection may permit treatment before apnoea occurs. Patients given narcotic-supplemented anaesthesia should be monitored by capnography and/or pulse oximetry in the early postoperative period.     

Brainstem anesthesia after peribulbar anesthesia

We report a case of pupilloplasty under peribulbar anaesthesia complicated by a brainstem anaesthesia requiring tracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation. Immediate outcome was good. We discuss the different mechanisms of this complication. The subarachnoidal (intrathecal) injection of local anaesthesic seems to be the most probable cause. The use of short needles should theoretically decrease the risk. Despite all these precautions, peribulbar anaesthesia should not be considered as an ordinary procedure.     

Acute intracranial subarachnoid hemorrhage following repeated spinal anesthesia]

Three hours after spinal anaesthesia, a previously healthy 71-year-old man developed a lethal intracranial subarachnoid haemorrhage that was very likely due to rupture of a pre-existing aneurysm. Three weeks previously the patient had undergone an operation for which spinal anaesthesia had been administered uneventfully. The question is raised whether there was a causal relationship between the haemorrhage and the spinal anaesthesia; this is discussed in the light of similar cases previously published. Loss of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the puncture site with a subsequent decrease in CSF pressure and an increase in transmural wall tension of the vessels might be predisposing factors for the rupture of a pre-existing cerebral aneurysm. Thus, we believe that intracranial subarachnoid haemorrhage should be listed among the rare complications of spinal anaesthesia. A dural leak following lumbar puncture might persist for months or even years without causing symptoms. In case of a planned second puncture, persisting leakage should be ruled out by taking a thorough history. Spinal and epidural anaesthesia are contraindicated in patients with persisting low pressure in the CSF system or known intracranial vascular malformations.     

Fatal Brain Lesion Following Spinal Anaesthesia: Report of a Case

Leakage of cerebrospinal fluid following dural puncture and subsequent downward sagging of the brain have been suggested as a cause of the rare subdural haematomas occurring after spinal or attempted epidural anaesthesia which have been reported in the literature. We report a case where this mechanism probably produced a fatal brain lesion, due to the herniation of the uncus against the tentorium cerebelli 15 days after spinal anaesthesia. The patients complained of severe headache and nausea after the procedure. The reported case shows that postdural-puncture headache may be a sign of more serious sequelae and should be treated by the means available.     

Spinal anaesthesia in a child with Job''s syndrome, pneumatoceles and empyema

We present a case of acute bowel obstruction in an immunocompromised child, who also had lobar pneumonia and a giant unilateral pneumatocele. She was successfully managed with subarachnoid anaesthesia for exploratory laparotomy to relieve a colonic obstruction. This proved to be a safe alternative to general anaesthesia with tracheal intubation in this patient and should be considered in infants and children in selected cases whenever a contraindication to general anaesthesia exists.     

Anticipated difficult airway during obstetric general anaesthesia: narrative literature review and management recommendations.

We reviewed the literature on management of general and regional anaesthesia in pregnant women with anticipated airway difficulty. We identified 138 publications comprising 158 cases; these either described equipment or techniques for the provision of general anaesthesia, or the management of women with regional analgesia or anaesthesia, with the aim of avoiding general anaesthesia. Most of the former group described women requiring caesarean section alone, or in combination with other surgery, which was sometimes airway-related. Management techniques were largely similar to those in non-obstetric patients requiring surgery who have airway difficulties, although suggested differences related to physiological changes of pregnancy and avoidance of nasal intubation. In the reports discussing regional anaesthesia, consideration was often given to the possible requirement for urgent out-of-hours anaesthetic intervention, and the predicted difficulty of management of general anaesthesia should it be required. In a number of reported cases, multidisciplinary planning led to the conclusion that elective caesarean section should be performed in order to avoid emergency airway management. Based on this literature review, we advise antenatal planning that includes: assessment of the patient's clinical characteristics; consideration of the equipment and personnel available to provide safe airway management out-of-hours; and elective caesarean section should these be lacking. If general anaesthesia is required, a risk assessment must be made as to the probability of safe airway management after the induction of anaesthesia, and awake tracheal intubation should be used if this cannot be assured. Decision aids are provided to illustrate these points. Online appendices include a comprehensive compendium of case reports on the management of a number of rare syndromes and airway conditions.     

Brugada syndrome--a review of the implications for the anaesthetist

Brugada syndrome is characterised by specific electrocardiogram changes in the right precordial leads, a structurally normal heart and susceptibility to ventricular arrhythmias that may cause syncope or sudden death in otherwise fit young adults. Perioperative pharmacological and physiological changes may precipitate these events. Arrhythmias and symptoms typically occur at rest or sleep when vagal activity predominates. Although the condition is rare, the implications are serious and may result in death. Individual case reports describe diverse anaesthetic management. In this paper we critically appraise the literature to identify unifying features and determine whether specific management can be recommended. We found 18 clinical reports of anaesthesia including a total of 28 patients, most under general anaesthesia. Those with an implanted defibrillator should have it deactivated. All patients should have external defibrillator pads applied continuously throughout the perioperative period. Electrolyte imbalances should be corrected preoperatively. Propofol infusions for maintenance of general anaesthesia are probably safe if duration and dose are limited. Sevoflurane may be the preferred volatile anaesthetic. Autonomic changes, inadequate analgesia, light anaesthesia and postural changes should be all be minimised. The patient should be warmed or cooled to maintain normothermia. An isoprenaline infusion is advocated for intraoperative ST changes. Regional anaesthesia is possible if the dose is limited and systemic absorption restricted. Lignocaine is the drug of choice while bupivacaine is relatively contraindicated. Ropivacaine is possibly also not safe. Prolonged regional anaesthesia may therefore require continuous catheter techniques. Five-lead electrocardiogram monitoring and ST trend analysis should continue into the postoperative period.     

Refractory hypotension during combined general and epidural anaesthesia in a patient on tricyclic antidepressants

We report a case of refractory hypotension that occurred after epidural injection of local anaesthetic, in a patient who was receiving tricyclic antidepressant therapy and was under general anaesthesia. The patient failed to respond to repeated injections of appropriate doses of sympathomimetics, but did respond to high-dose catecholamine infusions. We suggest that epidural anaesthesia should be used with care when combined with general anaesthesia for patients on long-standing tricyclic antidepressant therapy. If refractory hypotension should occur in such patients, the use of direct-acting vasoconstrictors such as noradrenaline should be considered.     

Day case general anaesthesia in a patient with narcolepsy

We report a patient suffering from narcolepsy who presented for day case gynaecological surgery under general anaesthesia. Her symptoms were normally well controlled using modafinil therapy which she had omitted on the day of surgery. Modafinil is a unique drug and has potential for many interactions with anaesthetic agents; these are discussed in this report. Her anaesthetic course was uneventful and we review previous reports of patients suffering with narcolepsy undergoing anaesthesia and suggest that narcolepsy should not be a contra-indication to day case surgery.     

Anaesthetic considerations for patients with a pre‐existing neurological deficit: are neuraxial techniques safe?

Pre-existing neurological and muscular disease may be a specific concern for anaesthetists as they need to consider the effect of anaesthesia upon the disease, vice versa, and the interaction of anaesthesia with the medication taken by the patient. Despite a lack of controlled studies, many anaesthetists, being afraid of a claim, will prefer general rather than regional anaesthesia in these patients. Nevertheless regional anaesthesia certainly merits its place because it offers undeniable advantages. A good pre-operative examination is very important while patients should also be informed about peri-operative implications of anaesthesia, surgery and stress. Paraesthesias, epinephrine and high concentrations of local anaesthetics should be avoided in the majority of the diseases. Some diseases may benefit from epidural anaesthesia while for others a spinal technique may be the technique of preference. Special attention should be paid to patients with spinal stenosis despite recent reassuring reports with respect to safety of regional anaesthetic techniques. Anaesthetists should not automatically take all responsibility in case of progressive or new deficit after the procedure.     

Post-operative paraplegia following spinal cord infarction

Thoracic epidural analgesia is a frequently utilised technique. Neurological complications are uncommon, but of grave consequence with significant morbidity. Spinal cord infarction following epidural anaesthesia is rare. We present a case where a hypertensive patient underwent an elective sigmoid colectomy under combined general/epidural anaesthesia for a suspected malignant abdominal mass. An epidural infusion was used for intra-operative and post-operative analgesia. During surgery, the blood pressure was labile and she was hypotensive. Postoperatively, the patient became confused, pyrexial and tachycardic and developed systemic inflammatory response syndrome requiring intensive care management. She developed a flaccid paralysis at L3 level with areflexia, analgesia and impaired sensation. A spinal cord infarct in the region of the conus extending into the thoracic cord was diagnosed. Complications of epidural anaesthesia are easily recognised when they develop immediately; their relationship to the anaesthesia and the post-operative period may be misjudged or underestimated when they appear after a delay, if neurological signs are masked by lack of patient cooperation and drowsiness or if the epidural anaesthesia is prolonged by long-acting drugs. New neurological deficits should be evaluated promptly to document the evolving neurological status and further testing or intervention should be arranged if appropriate. The association with epidural anaesthesia as a cause of paraplegia is reviewed. The aetiological factors that may have contributed to this tragic neurological complication are discussed.     

Delayed diagnosis of a postanaesthesia temporomandibular joint dislocation

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dislocation during anaesthesia is a rare occurrence. Patients with a history of prior dislocations or TMJ dysfunction, and patients with mandibular retrognathism are at risk of this complication. This is a case report of delayed diagnosis of TMJ dislocation after a general anaesthesia for aortic valvular replacement surgery in a predisposed patient. Considering this unusual presentation, TMJ evaluation should be performed during preoperative anaesthetic assessment. In at-risk patients, one should not worry about TMJ dislocation during intubation but concentrate on glottic exposure. However, afterwards, one should be highly aware of this possible complication in order to detect it early, allowing an immediate simple manual reduction. This manoeuver may be performed with or without sedation by a practitioner, familiar with this way of resetting a dislocated jaw.     

Multiple sclerosis disclosed by spinal anesthesia

A case is reported of an acute onset of previously undiagnosed multiple sclerosis, revealed by an oculomotor paralysis following spinal anaesthesia performed for minor orthopaedic surgery. The need for a complete preoperative physical examination is underlined by this case, looking for latent neuromuscular disorders before undertaking such techniques, and for a thorough neurological work-up should such a complication arise. The harmlessness of regional anaesthesia in multiple sclerosis patients is controversial; without entering into such a debate, the direct relationship between spinal anaesthesia and acute exacerbation of the disease in our patient seemed more than likely.     

Induction and recovery characteristics of desflurane in day case patients: A comparison with propofol

Desflurane is an ether halogenated exclusively with fluorine. It has a blood/gas partition coefficient of 0.42 (cf. isoflurane 1.40 and nitrous oxide 0.46). This characteristic suggests that it should provide both a fast induction of anaesthesia and a rapid recovery from anaesthesia. To assess this, 60 patients were entered into a study and allocated at random to one of four groups receiving either desflurane or propofol for induction and maintenance of anaesthesia. Desflurane caused loss of consciousness in approximately 2 minutes during gaseous inductions. The psychomotor scores in the patients who received propofol for induction and maintenance of anaesthesia were significantly worse compared with those who were given desflurane for either induction and maintenance or for maintenance only. There was also a tendency for other recovery parameters to be faster in the patients receiving desflurane although this did not reach statistical significance. This suggests that desflurane would be a suitable agent for day case anaesthesia providing for a rapid recovery.     

Anesthesia for shoulder surgery. Comparison of anesthesiologic problems and technics

We evaluated the ability of general, regional (interscalene block) and balanced anaesthesia (interscalene block supplemented by general anaesthesia) to manage the problems of shoulder surgery. Our results show that general anaesthesia is not adequate. Interscalene block provides intra and postoperative analgesia, allows an early realization of the postoperative rehabilitation programme and quickens the recovery of shoulder function. Therefore, interscalene block should routinely be performed. The positions of patient and surgeons cause the main disadvantages of anaesthesia with interscalene block alone, ad the control of airway of sedated patients is difficult and performing general anaesthesia in case of insufficient analgesia may be troublesome. Balanced anaesthesia, as compared to regional block alone, allows a safer control of respiration and an easier control of surgical analgesia.     

'Awareness' and 'recall' during emergence from general anaesthesia.

A case is presented in which memory of events during emergence from anaesthesia resulted in serious psychological sequelae. Communication with patients should begin almost immediately after anaesthesia has been terminated and should have prevented this unfortunate incident.     

BACTERIAL MENINGITIS FOLLOWING SPINAL ANAESTHESIA FOR CAESAREAN SECTION

We report a case of meningitis caused by inadvertent introductionof bacteria following spinal anaesthesia for Caesarean section.The technique of performing the spinal anaesthesia is reviewed.Meningitis may occur, although very rarely, despite meticulousaseptic techniques. It is vital that meningitis should be consideredin the differential diagnoses of post-spinal headache when patientspresent with headaches, pyrexia and meningism in the postoperativeor postpartum period.     

Parto con analgesia epidural en una gestante con parálisis periódica hipocaliémica

Familial hypokalaemic periodic paralysis (FHPP) is an uncommon genetic disease characterized by muscle weakness associated with hypokalaemia. Episodes are precipitated by drugs, stress, metabolic diseases, hypothermia or infection. We report the case of a 38-year-old pregnant women with FHPP who underwent epidural analgesia for labour. Pregnant women with FHPP require multidisciplinary management involving an anaesthesiologist, a gynaecologist and a paediatrician. It is important to maintain normothermia, prevent hyperventilation, monitor electrolytes, avoid glucose infusions and medications that cause hypokalaemia, and administer potassium supplements when required. Locoregional techniques should be preferred over general anaesthesia. Early epidural analgesia reduces the risk of pain that could trigger an episode of FHPP. In the case of general anaesthesia, drugs that can cause malignant hyperthermia should be avoided, and short-acting non-depolarizing neuromuscular blockers with blockade-depth monitoring should be used.     

Fibre-optic awake intubation for caesarean section in a parturient with predicted difficult airway

Anaesthetic management of a parturient with predicted difficult airway presenting for caesarean section (CS) is not a straightforward decision: general anaesthesia should be avoided because intubation can be impossible and a "cannot intubate, cannot ventilate" scenario might ensue, on the other hand regional techniques can be unsuccessful or, though rarely, have complications that require emergency intubation. The case is presented of a primigravida admitted to hospital at 37 weeks' gestation with hypertension, intrauterine growth retardation and oligohydramnios. After a few days' observation, it was decided to proceed with an elective CS. The preoperative airway examination revealed a poor mouth opening with an interdental distance of 20 mm and a Mallampati class IV. The patient was classified as a case of difficult intubation and the following anaesthetic options were considered: epidural anaesthesia, spinal anaesthesia and awake fibreoptic intubation followed by general anaesthesia. The pros and the cons of these techniques were explained to the patient and it was suggested that awake fibreoptic intubation was the safest option. The patient gave her consent, so an uneventful nasal awake fibreoptic intubation was carried out under local anaesthesia. This case report offers the opportunity to underline the risk to perform a central blockade in a parturient with predicted difficult intubation, arguing that the safest course of action is an awake fibrescopic intubation, besides some controversial points to safely perform awake fibreoptic intubation in obstetric patients are discussed.