3 research outputs found
Circulatory collapse following epidural bolus for Caesarean section a profound vasovagal reaction? A case report
AbstractIntroductionReduced blood pressure is commonly seen associated to spinal anaesthesia for Caesarean section and efforts to reduce its occurrence and its magnitude is common practice. Cardiovascular collapse requiring cardio-pulmonary resuscitation after putting the spinal/epidural block for Caesarean section is however a rare but most dramatic event.Presentation of caseWe describe a case with sudden short loss of circulation, circulatory collapse, short after start of emergency Caesarean section in top up epidural anaesthesia (3+12ml ropivaciane 7.5mg/ml), requiring CPR. The neonate was delivered during CPR with Apgar 1, 10, 10 at 1, 5 and 10min. Circulation was restored following 60–90s of CPR and administration of 0.5mg adrenaline. No cardioversion was administered sinus rhythm was regained spontaneously. The mother and child had a further uncomplicated course. No signs of cardiac damage/anomaly, emboli, septicaemia, pereclampisa or local anaesthetic toxicity was found. The patient had prior to the decision about Caesarean section had fever and was subsequently relatively dehydrated.DiscussionThe patient had a fast return of sinus rhythm following birth of the child, without cardioversion. None of common causes for cardiac arrest was found and the patient an uncomplicated post Caesarean section course. The combination of epidural induced sympathetic block and reduced preload possibly triggered a Bezold-Jarisch reflex with a profound vasovagal reaction.ConcluiosnA structured plan for the handling of cardiovascular crisis must be available wherever Caesarean section are performed. Adequate volume loading, left tilt and vigilant control of circulation following regional block performance is of outmost importance
Postoperative nausea and vomiting in women : An unglamorous aspect of anaesthesia
Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONY) still remains a common and
undesirable side effect of anaesthesia. Women are afflicted by PONY two
to three times more often than men and a substantial number of patients
consider PONV to be the worst part of the entire surgical procedure.
Despite recent advances within the practice of anaesthesia little has
been done to improve our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of
PONV. The aims of this dissertation were to identify the incidence of
PONV after the various surgical procedures performed in women, and to
investigate whether alternate anaesthetic regimens or prophylactic
pharmacological or non-pharmacological interventions could influence the
incidence of PONY Various blood- borne factors that may be of importance
for the development of PONV in women undergoing breast cancer surgery
were also studied.
Methods: In total 546 women were included in six different studies. Women
undergoing termination of pregnancy and breast cancer surgery under
different anaesthetic regimens were studied with respect to the incidence
of PONV and to identify potentially favourable anaesthetic combinations
with regards to PONY The antiemetic effects of the 5-HT3 receptor
antagonist tropisetron, intra-operative positive suggestion or
coinduction with the alpha2 adrenoceptor agonist clonidine were studied
in women undergoing laparascopic gynaecological surgery and breast cancer
surgery under general anaesthesia. To study further the basic mechanisms
responsible for PONV, various blood-borne factors (serotonin,
epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine, vasopressin, CCK, gastrin, blood
glucose and platelet count) that may be of importance for the development
of PONV in women undergoing breast cancer surgery were analysed.
Results: The incidences of PONV after termination of pregnancy, breast
cancer surgery and laparoscopic gynaecological surgery were 7.5%, 57% and
47%, respectively. No clinically important differences with regard to the
incidence of PONY were found between the anaesthetic regimens studied.
Prophylactic treatment with tropisetron or intra-operative positive
suggestion did not reduce the incidence of PONV, but recall of nausea and
vomiting 24 hrs postoperatively was reduced in patients exposed to
intra-operative positive suggestion (p < 0.05). Co-induction with
clonidine reduced the dose of propofol (p < 0.04), sevoflurane (p < 0.03)
and early need for ketobemidone (p < 0.04) and most importantly increased
the number of PONV freepatients compared to placebo (66% vs. 36%; p <
0.04). Women with PONV after breast cancer surgery under general
anaesthesia had a larger dispersion of platelet counts (p = 0.001), a
reduced platelet count on the first postoperative day (p = 0.02) and a
less pronounced relationship between platelet count and whole blood
serotonin (p = 0.002) compared to PONV-free subjects. No reduction in
epinephrine levels in response to the induction of anaesthesia (p 0.03)
as well as increased levels of vasopressin (p = 0.00004), epinephrine (p
= 0.005) and blood glucose (p 0.004) were also observed during the early
postoperative period in patients with PONV.
Conclusion: Approximately 50 % of women experience PONV after breast
cancer surgery and laparoscopic gynaecological surgery. Various
combinations of anaesthetic drugs did not have any major impact on the
incidence of PONY but co-induction with clonidine was found to increase
the number of PONV-free patients. Three different platelet-related
factors and an altered epinephrine pattern were found in women suffering
from PONV after breast cancer surgery, a finding that may suggest a
genetic link to PONV