Bartos A, Breazu CM, Bartos D, Mitre CI. Accidental Spinal Cord Injury Following an Attempted Thoracic Epidural for acute Pancreatitis Pain Management.
Turk J Anaesthesiol Reanim 2020;
48:71-74. [PMID:
32076684 PMCID:
PMC7001809 DOI:
10.5152/tjar.2019.15564]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
We report a case of spinal cord injury following an attempted epidural in a conscious woman for pain management in acute pancreatitis. The epidural needle was inserted at the T11–T12 interspace. On the second attempt, dural puncture occurred. The patient did not complain of pain or discomfort during the procedure. Thirty-two hours after the attempted epidural, the patient was found to have motor deficit on her right lower limb. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a spinal haematoma with direct spinal cord injury. Post-laminectomy neurological recovery was slow but progressive. The possible causes for spinal cord injury and spinal haematoma without pain or paraesthesia during the procedure are discussed.
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