A Sudden Cardiac Arrest during Spinal Anesthesia / 대한마취과학회지

Spinal anesthesia is a widely practiced technique for both elective and emergency procedures. It is recommended for its efficacy and safety. Hemodynamic instability and cardiac arrest have been reported in healthy patients. Sudden cardiac arrest occured during spinal anesthesia in sixteen-year old patient who had experienced three episodes of syncope associated with severe exercise or extremely psychological stress. Although the exact pathophysiology of this phenomenon is unknown, the etiology is probably multifactorial. The patient was immediately resuscitated and recovered with no adverse effects. Thus the patient who receives spinal anesthesia should be required constant monitoring and vigilance throughout all procedures.