1/3. How should an infected perinephric haematoma be drained in a tetraplegic patient with baclofen pump implanted in the abdominal wall? - A case report.BACKGROUND: We present a case to illustrate controversies in percutaneous drainage of infected, perinephric haematoma in a tetraplegic patient, who had implantation of baclofen pump in anterior abdominal wall on the same side as perinephric haematoma. CASE PRESENTATION: A 56-year-old male with C-4 tetraplegia had undergone implantation of programmable pump in the anterior abdominal wall for intrathecal infusion of baclofen to control spasticity. He developed perinephric haematoma while he was taking warfarin as prophylactic for deep vein thrombosis. Perinephric haematoma became infected with a resistant strain of pseudomonas aeruginosa, and required percutaneous drainage. Positioning this patient on his abdomen without anaesthesia, for insertion of a catheter from behind, was not a realistic option. Administration of general anaesthesia in this patient in the radiology department would have been hazardous. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Percutaneous drainage was carried out by anterior approach under propofol sedation. The site of entry of percutaneous catheter was close to cephalic end of baclofen pump. By carrying out drainage from anterior approach, and by keeping this catheter for ten weeks, we took a risk of causing infection of the baclofen pump site, and baclofen pump with a resistant strain of pseudomonas aeruginosa. The alternative method would have been to anaesthetise the patient and position him prone for percutaneous drainage of perinephric collection from behind. This would have ensured that the drainage track was far away from the baclofen pump with minimal risk of infection of baclofen pump, but at the cost of incurring respiratory complications in a tetraplegic subject.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = anaesthesia (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/3. Spontaneous cervical epidural haematoma during pregnancy.Spontaneous cervical epidural haematoma is very rare during pregnancy. We describe a woman who presented with tetraplegia at 41 weeks of pregnancy. She had no previous history of any relevant medical disorder. Her upper level of anaesthesia was at the second thoracic segment. The condition was diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging, and both caesarean section and decompression were conducted 12 hours after the event. The neurological deficit showed little recovery. histology was non-specific and follow-up magnetic resonance imaging showed spinal cord ischaemia. The prognosis in this condition depends on the interval of time between onset and decompression.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = anaesthesia (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/3. Epidural anaesthesia for caesarean section in a patient with quadriplegia and autonomic hyperreflexia.The anaesthetic management of a pregnant quadriplegic woman with a history of autonomic hyperreflexia is discussed. Autonomic hyperreflexia is a life-threatening complication of high spinal cord transection, for which labour is a well known stimulus. It can lead to uncontrolled hypertension. We discuss the anaesthetic considerations in planning the care of this patient, who was managed for elective caesarean section and post partum hypertension with epidural anaesthesia.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2.5keywords = anaesthesia (Clic here for more details about this article) |