Fentanyl and midazolam induced respiratory arrest and neuromuscular paralysis during day care surgery: a case report

We report a 44 year-old, American Society of Anesthesiologist Class I [ASA I], female patient scheduled for elective excision of a small lipoma of the left thigh. She went into a 90 minute apnea and complete muscle paralysis as evidenced by the absence of all stimulatory responses by a peripheral nerve stimulator after receiving midazolam [1.0 mg] and fentanyl [100 micro g] intravenously for sedation and analgaesia. The patient made an uneventful recovery after 90 minutes. No cause and effect relationship could be established between the administered drugs and this unusual response