Articles: general-anesthesia.
-
Case Reports
Malignant hyperpyrexia. A case report of successful treatment and subsequent uneventful general anaesthesia.
A case of successfully treated fulminant malignant hyperpyrexia induced by halothane is reported. The patient underwent uneventful general anaesthesia with Althesin, nitrous oxide, fentanyl and pancuronium 1 week later. The treatment of the established MH-syndrome and its prevention in MH-susceptible patients are discussed.
-
Arch Phys Med Rehabil · Jul 1978
Case ReportsParaplegia: succinylcholine-induced hyperkalemia and cardiac arrest.
The rapid development of hyperkalemia leading to cardiac arrest can occur in patients with spinal cord injuries and other conditions when succinylcholine is used during the induction of anesthesia. Three patients with thoracolumbar spinal cord injuries resulting in lower motor neuron lesions or lesions above the lower extremity motor units developed hyperkalemia followed by cardiac arrest after succinylcholine administration. The mechanism by which succinylcholine leads to hyperkalemia from denervated muscle is described and precautions to be taken are mentioned. Physicians caring for patients with denervated muscle due to spinal cord injuries should be aware of this danger and nondepolarizing muscle relaxants should be used instead of succinylcholine.
-
We recommend the use of one dose of physostigmine salicylate, a few minutes before the termination of a general anesthetic, to prevent confusion, struggling, disorientation, or delirium during the recovery from anesthesia. We believe that it is well to prevent such behavior, particularly in patients who have just undergone reconstructive surgery where the unmanageable behavior could jeopardize surgical results. Our results indicate that such behavior is largely preventable.