Convulsion in epidural anesthesia caused by intravascular injection (A case report and review)

MAHLİ A., Ocal E., COŞKUN D., AKÇABAY M.

Gazi Medical Journal, cilt.10, sa.3, ss.125-130, 1999 (Scopus) identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 10 Sayı: 3
  • Basım Tarihi: 1999
  • Dergi Adı: Gazi Medical Journal
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Scopus
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.125-130
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Catheters, Convulsions, Epidural Anesthesia, Epidural Injections, Intraoperative Complications, Regional Anesthesia
  • Gazi Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Despite all recommended precautions taken in widely used epidural anesthesia, some life threatening complications still occur. The aim of this case report is to exemplify the possibility of intravascular settlement of the catheter, which may accidentally occur during insertion. Epidural catheterisation was applied to a patient, who was planned to be operated on for an arteriovenous fistula and aneurysm in his left leg. After the negative aspiration test, 10 ml 2% lidocaine was injected to the patient. Three minutes after the test dose application, toxic reaction and, in particular, convulsion was observed. During the catheter anesthesia, in order to decrease the risk of intravascular injection, we believe that it is important to perform an aspiration test at each centimetre during the catheter insertion for any catheter type, in addition to all precautions mentioned in the literature.