Open AccessAn incidental finding on ultrasound scanning for regional anaesthesia leads to the correct operation
Author(s) -
Athanassoglou Vassilis,
Morris Carl
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
anaesthesia cases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2396-8397
DOI - 10.21466/ac.aifousf.2014
Subject(s) - medicine , regional anaesthesia , ultrasound , amputation , general anaesthetic , local anaesthetic , general anaesthesia , surgery , nerve block , spinal anesthesia , anesthesia , radiology
Summary A 61‐yr‐old female was scheduled for an urgent below knee amputation. She declined a spinal anaesthetic and it was planned to perform a general anaesthetic together with a popliteal and saphenous nerve block under ultrasound guidance. The ultrasound scan revealed gas in the more proximal soft tissues indicating that a more proximal amputation was required than the below knee amputation the patient had been consented for. The patient was woken up, consented for the correct operation, which she had a few hours later, and was discharged home 14 days later. We discuss the issue of consent following induction of general anaesthesia as well as the ethical considerations of incidental findings on ultrasound examination performed by non‐experts.