Recently, epidural nerve block is widely used for postoperative and chronic pain control. Epidural nerve block has been known to be a safer procedure than spinal nerve block. But epidural nerve block can cause serious neurologic complication as spinal nerve block. We report a case of paraplegia following single epidural nerve block for pain control. The patient had been suffering from burning pain on both knee and the radiating pain of right lower extremity. The patient after the block showed paraplegia and urinary incontinence. MRI revealed that the thoracic and lumbar spinal cord have a vascular malformation. The dilated veins and the injection of local anesthetic solutions may have precipitated latent ischemic hypoxia of the spinal cord due to raised venous pressure. This case points out the importance of accurate neurological history and examination of patient for epidural nerve block.
Anoxia ; Burns ; Chronic Pain ; Humans ; Knee ; Lower Extremity ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Nerve Block* ; Paraplegia* ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Nerves ; Urinary Incontinence ; Vascular Malformations ; Veins ; Venous Pressure

It is now well established that acute subarachnoid hemorrhage secondary to rupture of a cerebral aneurysm can precipitate life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia. We experienced a 60 year old patient with a subarachnoid hemorrhage (neurologic grade III) due to rupture of anterior communicating artery aneurysm who presented with such intraoperative electrocardiographic changes as ST segment elevation and T wave inversion which are hallmark of acute myocardial infarction. The operation was uneventfully ended. On the postoperative laboratory examination about suspected acute myocardial infarction, the patient was found to have normal triple enzyme study and echocardiographic finding. The electrocardiogram three days after subarachnoid hemorrhage due to cerebral aneurysm returned to normal sinus rhythm. This case suggests that this patient's electrocardiographic change simulating acute myocardial infarction is transient change due to subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Echocardiography ; Electrocardiography* ; Humans ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Rupture ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage*

BACKGROUND: Etomidate is short-acting non-barbiturate intravenous anesthetic with minimal cardiovascular depression. As a small change in venous capacitance significantly alters venous return and thus cardiac output, it is important to know the effects of intravenous anesthetics on venous capacitance. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of etomidate or pentobarbital (control agent) on venous capacitance. METHOD: All twenty rats (etomidate group: 10, pentobarbital group: 10), weighing 350-450 gram, were anesthetized with pentobarbital 50 mg/kg given intraperitoneally for surgical preparation. Mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and mean circulatory filling pressure (MCFP) were measured in the awake state(recovered from pentobarbital anesthesia for surgical preparation) as well as during anesthesia with etomidate or pentobarbital. Venous capacitance was assessed before and during anesthesia with etomidate or pentobarbital by measuring MCFP. MCFP was measured during a brief period of circulatory arrest produced by inflating a balloon inserted in right atrium. RESULTS: As compared with MCFP in the corresponding awake state, MCFP was not significantly altered by etomidate but significantly decreased by pentobarbital. As compared with MAP in the corresponding awake state, MAP was not significantly altered by etomidate but significantly decreased by pentobarbital. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that unaltered venous capacitance by etomidate may contribute to a maintained MAP but increased venous capacitance by pentobarbital decrease in MAP of the normovolemic rat.
Anesthesia ; Anesthetics, Intravenous ; Animals ; Arterial Pressure ; Cardiac Output ; Depression ; Etomidate* ; Heart Atria ; Heart Rate ; Pentobarbital ; Rats*