Bronchospasm triggered by spinal anaesthesia. Case report and review of the literature

Publication date: Available online 17 March 2016 Source:Colombian Journal of Anesthesiology Author(s): Ana María Rodilla-Fiz, Marta Gómez-Garrido, Fernando Martínez-López, Jose Ángel Monsalve-Naharro, María Girón-La Casa, Alfonso López-Pérez Bronchospasm is a clinical condition that can occur unexpectedly during general anaesthesia, but is extremely rare after spinal anaesthesia. The following is a case presentation of a patient who developed bronchospasm after undergoing spinal anaesthesia not attributable to other causes, and that adds another case to the limited literature. Most publications allude to asthmatic patients, and this is probably the first description about a patient with emphysema-type COPD. Our case shows that although spinal anaesthesia is considered safe for patients with respiratory disease, specifically in asthmatic patients there is a possibility of bronchospasm in susceptible patients.
Source: Colombian Journal of Anesthesiology - Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: research