Cardiac Arrest During Hip Arthroplasty and Postoperative Delirium in the Elderly Patient: A case report / 대한마취과학회지

ABSTRACT

An Eighty-year-old female patient was transferred to the operating room for hip arthroplasty under the general anesthesia. Immediately after injection of two units of methylmethacrylate bone cement into the intramedullary canal, systolic blood pressure rapidly decreased and cardiac arrest occurred. The patient was turned to the supine position and was successfully resuscitated with intravenous administration of fluids, injection of epinephrine and external cardiac massage. In the intensive-care unit, she was treated for acute pulmonary edema. Three days later, postoperative delirium was developed. She spoke incoherently, was disoriented, and showed impairment of memory and attention. She was treated with haloperidol, lorazepam and sedative drug, five days later recovered. The patient was discharged to home without any sequelaes, but she died due to pneumonia two months later postoperatively at home.