Open AccessSevere autonomic dysreflexia induced cardiac arrest under isoflurane anesthesia in a patient with lower thoracic spine injury
Author(s) -
Amit Jain,
Babita Ghai,
Kajal Jain,
Jeetinder Kaur Makkar,
Kishore Mangal,
Supriya Sampley
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of anaesthesiology-clinical pharmacology/journal of anaesthesiology clinical pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.466
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 2231-2730
pISSN - 0970-9185
DOI - 10.4103/0970-9185.111652
Subject(s) - medicine , autonomic dysreflexia , anesthesia , isoflurane , spinal cord injury , bradycardia , spinal cord , surgery , heart rate , blood pressure , psychiatry
We present a case of severe autonomic dysreflexia (AD) progressing to cardiac arrest and death under isoflurane anesthesia. Though AD in chronic cervical spine injury is a common entity, occurrence of such an event in the stage of flaccid paralysis in lower dorsal spinal cord injury is rare, especially under general anesthesia. Manipulation of urinary bladder catheter under light plane of isoflurane anesthesia might be the precipitating factor. Increasing concentration of isoflurane failed to abort the episode or might have aggravated it. High level of suspicion and vigilance is necessary to prevent, diagnose and treat such a condition.