Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2004 Apr;98(4):966-969.
doi: 10.1213/01.ANE.0000103267.37895.5B.

An epidural hematoma in an adolescent patient after cardiac surgery

David A Rosen  1 , Denzil W Hawkinberry 2nd, Kathleen R Rosen, Robert A Gustafson, Jeffery P Hogg, Lynn M Broadman
Affiliations
Case Reports

An epidural hematoma in an adolescent patient after cardiac surgery

David A Rosen et al. Anesth Analg. 2004 Apr.

Abstract

An 18-yr-old patient had a thoracic epidural placed under general anesthesia preceding an uneventful aortic valve replacement with a bioprosthetic valve. On the second postoperative day, he was anticoagulated and also received an antithrombotic medication. While ambulating, he experienced pain in his back, and there was blood in his epidural catheter. The catheter was removed, and he developed motor and sensory loss. Rapid surgical decompression resulted in recovery of his lost neurological function. Management and strategies for preventing this problem are discussed.

Implications: Epidural hematoma is a rare complication of epidural anesthesia and has not been reported in pediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgery. The successful treatment of this complication requires swift recognition, diagnosis, and surgical intervention.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

References

    1. Rosen DA, Rosen KR, Hammer GB. Pro: Regional anesthesia is an important component of the anesthetic technique for pediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgical procedures. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth 2002; 12: 374–8.
    1. Peterson KL, DeCampli WM, Pike NA, et al. A report of two hundred twenty cases of regional anesthesia in pediatric cardiac surgery. Anesth Analg 2000; 90: 1014–9.
    1. Hammer GB, Ngo K, Macario A. A retrospective examination of regional plus general anesthesia in children undergoing open heart surgery. Anesth Analg 2000; 90: 1020–4.
    1. Rosen KR, Rosen DA. Caudal epidural morphine for control of pain following heart surgery in children. Anesthesiology 1989; 70: 418–21.
    1. Horlocker TT, Wedel DJ, Benzon H, et al. Regional anesthesia in the anticoagulated patient: defining the risks (the second ASRA Consensus Conference on Neuraxial Anesthesia and Anticoagulation). Reg Anesth Pain Med 2003; 28: 172–97.

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources