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Report of two cases
Author(s) -
LIU K.,
CHIA Y.Y.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
acta anaesthesiologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.738
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1399-6576
pISSN - 0001-5172
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-6576.1995.tb04245.x
Subject(s) - medicine , anesthesia , thoracotomy , surgery , saline , abdomen , trunk , epidural administration , respiratory system , morphine , ecology , biology
Two patients underwent thoracotomy for resection of pulmonary or esophageal carcinoma. Postoperatively, epidural catheters were inserted for pain management. Complaints of severe injection pain over the abdomen or lower extremities were made during one administration of pain medication. Progressive weakness and numbness developed over the lower trunk and lower extremities, with subsequent respiratory difficulties. Potassium chloride (KCl) was suspected to have been mistaken for normal saline as the diluent for morphine. In addition to endotracheal intubation and ventilatory support, steroids were administered both intravenously and epidurally to suppress spinal cord irritation. The two patients regained motor and sensory functions 14 and 18 hours later, respectively, without sequelae.