Epidural anesthesia and prevention of autonomic hyperreflexia in a paraplegic parturient

• Published in: Annales françaises d'anesthésie et de réanimation Vol. 12; no. 5; p. 493
• Main Authors: Kaidomar, M, Raucoules, M, Ben Miled, M, Carlon, M, Grimaud, D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: French
• Published: France 1993
• Subjects: Adult; Anesthesia, Epidural; Anesthesia, Obstetrical - methods; Autonomic Nervous System Diseases - etiology; Autonomic Nervous System Diseases - prevention & control; Diagnosis, Differential; Eclampsia - diagnosis; Female; Humans; Hypertension - etiology; Hypertension - therapy; Obstetric Labor Complications - etiology; Paraplegia - complications; Paraplegia - etiology; Paraplegia - physiopathology; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Spinal Cord Injuries - complications
• ISSN: 0750-7658

Pregnancy in a patient suffering from high spinal cord lesions is unusual and can lead to serious autonomic hyperreflexia during delivery. Epidural anaesthesia has been suggested as a means of decreasing such a risk. This clinical report presents the case of a paraplegic patient with lesions above the T3 level who had spinal anaesthesia for a Caesarean section. Her first delivery, six years earlier and without spinal anaesthesia was complicated by serious autonomic hyperreflexia with severe hypertension, seizures and inhalation. These symptoms were at first interpreted as eclampsia. For the Caesarean section, spinal anaesthesia using 0.25% bupivacaine in divided doses presented no difficulty, in spite of important lordosis, and permitted the delivery of a newborn with an Apgar score of 10 at one minute. The upper sympathetic level reached (T4-T6) was assessed by the discontinuing of muscular spasticity and contractures elicited by cutaneous stimuli. At the present time, spinal anaesthesia is the best method for preventing autonomic hyperreflexia. General anaesthesia, especially with halothane, is effective, but requires a deeper anaesthesia with the risk of serious hypotension and its possible repercussions on the fetus. Moreover it does not decrease the risk of autonomic hyperreflexia during the postoperative period.