Abstract:
A 71 year-old woman was admitted for transurethral resection of bladder carcinoma. The procedure was performed under spinal anaesthesia with mepivacaine 4% hyperbaric. The procedure was carried out without any technical problems. Despite appropriate positioning the patients spinal anaesthesia spread slowly cephalad. 60 minutes after injection of the local anaesthetic aphonia and respiratory insufficiency occurred. The patient was intubated and controlled ventilation was started. 4 hours later the tube could be removed again. 6.5 hours after performing the block no residual block could be detected. The authors discuss the aetiology of this rare complication. It is recommended to keep all patients under continuous anaesthesiologic supervision where the spread of spinal anaesthesia is not definitely declining.
Klöss, van Deyk, Hempel, , , , , , (1984). [Delayed respiratory arrest following spinal anesthesia]. Regional-Anaesthesie, 1984 Jul;7(3):98-100. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6505330