A Case of Convulsive Seizure Following Spinal Anesthesia in a Geriatric Patient with COPD / 영남의대학술지

ABSTRACT

In the geriatric patient with COPD, incidence of postoperative pulmonary complication is higher than young patient. Therefore, some anesthesiologists preferred spinal anesthesia to general anesthesia for surgery of the perineum, lower extrimities, and pelvic extraperitoneal organs. But, during spinal anesthesia, the same careful observation in required as during general anesthesia. We experienced a case of the convulsive seizure at about 1 hour after spinal anesthesia for open prostatectomy in a 76-year-old male patient with COPD. It was suspected that his convulsive seizure be resulted from hypercapnea combined with hypoxia following upper airway obstruction. This patient was treated successfully by ultrashort acting barbiturate and controlled ventilation.