Post-epidural unilateral paralysis of intercostal muscles in child

ABSTRACT

Morbidity after paediatric epidural anaesthesia is unusual. We report a case of transient motor nerve root block in an eleven years old girl receiving epidural analgesia postoperatively following anterior instrumented spinal fusion for scoliosis. The epidural catheter was placed within the T8-T9 inter-space under general anaesthesia. Postoperatively the child developed unilateral paradoxical chest wall movement which was felt to be due to transient motor nerve roots blockade from the epidural analgesia, resulting from migration of catheter though uncommon, the complication needs to be considered in the differential of respiratory compromise postoperatively