Spinal anesthesia after intraoperative cardiac arrest during general anesthesia in an infant

Abstract

Emmett E Whitaker,1,2 Veronica Miler,1,2 Jason Bryant,1,2 Stephanie Proicou,1 Rama Jayanthi,3,4 Joseph D Tobias1,2 1Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, 2Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, 3Division of Pediatric Urology, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, 4Department of Urology, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA Abstract: Although generally safe and effective, severe perioperative complications, including cardiac arrest, may occur during general anesthesia in infants. With the emergence of evidence that specific anesthetic agents may affect future neurocognitive outcomes, there has been an increased focus on alternatives to general anesthesia, including spinal anesthesia. We present a case of cardiac arrest during general anesthesia in an infant who required urologic surgery. During the subsequent anesthetic care, spinal anesthesia was offered as an alternative to general anesthesia. The risks of severe perioperative complications during general anesthesia are reviewed, etiologic factors for such events are presented, and the use of spinal anesthesia as an alternative to general anesthesia is discussed. Keywords: child, pediatric anesthesia, complications

Keywords

• child
• pediatric anesthesia
• spinal anesthesia
• cardiac arrest
• complications