Local anaesthetic toxicity in a pregnant patient undergoing lignocaine-induced intravenous regional anaesthesia.

Coleman, M; Kelly, D J · Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · 1998

case_report · Level V

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Abstract

A pregnant patient at 38 weeks' gestation developed symptoms of local anaesthetic toxicity following intravenous regional anaesthesia (IVRA) for hand surgery, using a standard dose of lignocaine. Reports suggest that a number of factors, both physiological and pharmacological, combine to increase the likelihood of local anaesthetic (LA) toxicity in pregnancy despite employment of a conventional "safe" IVRA technique. It is suggested that for IVRA, pregnant patients are premedicated with a benzodiazepine, the tourniquet time is increased and the concentration of LA is decreased to reduce the risks of LA toxicity.

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