Convulsions, ataxia and hallucinations following propofol.
A 6-year-old fit girl experienced convulsions 44 h after an otherwise uneventful anaesthesia with propofol, alfentanil and nitrous oxide. As an underlying pathology was suspected, the child was kept sedated for 6.5 h for further investigations. During this period she received a continuous infusion of propofol amounting in total to 1600 mg. After having regained consciousness, she was strikingly ataxic and remained so for 5 days. During this period she also experienced two episodes of hallucinations lasting about 2 h. Investigations including lumbar puncture, EEG, cerebral CT and MR scan could not explain the neurological symptoms. She recovered without long-term sequelae.
Department of Anaesthesiology, Vejle Hospital, Denmark.
A
A
Bendiksen
L M
LM
Larsen
D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001259:Ataxia / Q000139:chemically induced*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006212:Hallucinations / Q000139:chemically induced*; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015742:Propofol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012640:Seizures / Q000175:diagnosis*
D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D015742:Propofol