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Canadian Journal of Anaesthesia

, Volume 38, Issue 3, pp 341–344 | Cite as

Continuous spinal anaesthesia for abdominal surgery in a patient receiving amiodarone

  • Dan J. Kopacz
Clinical Reports
Accepted:

Abstract

The perioperative management of a 57-yr-old patient receiving chronic amiodarone therapy with a continuous spinal anaesthetic for a low anterior resection of the colon is discussed. The most appropriate anaesthetic technique for patients receiving chronic amiodarone therapy remains controversial, but the avoidance of general anaesthesia may be beneficial because of the risk of postoperative pulmonary failure. In this patient continuous spinal anaesthesia was slowly titrated to the desired level, coincident haemodynamic alterations were easily treated as they developed, and high serum local anaesthetic concentrations which occur with other regional anaesthetic techniques were avoided.

Key words

Anaesthetic Techniques: spinal-continuous Heart: antiarrhythmics amiodarone Interactions (Drug): amiodarone, anaesthetic agents 

Résumé

La conduite périopératoire d’une anesthésie rachidienne continue lors d’une résection antérieure basse du côlon chez un patient âgé de 57 ans recevant une thérapie chronique à l’amiodarone est décrite. La technique anesthésique la plus appropriée pour les patients sous thérapie chronique à l’amiodarone demeure controversée, mais le fait d’éviter l’anesthésie générate pourrait être bénéfique a cause du risque d’insuffisance pulmonaire postopératoire. Chez ce patient, l’anesthésie rachidienne continue est lentement titrée au niveau désiré et les altérations hémodynamiques furent facilement traitées au fur et à mesure qu’ils apparaissent et l’augmentation des concentrations sériques et des anesthésiques locaux qui surviennent avec d’autres techniques d’anesthésie régionale furent évites.

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Copyright information

© Canadian Anesthesiologists 1991

Authors and Affiliations

  • Dan J. Kopacz
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of AnesthesiologyVirginia Mason Medical CenterSeattle

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