Grand mal convulsion and plasma concentrations after intravascular injection of ropivacaine for axillary brachial plexus blockade.
We report a patient to whom ropivacaine 1.1 mg kg(-1) was administered for brachial plexus blockade and who developed grand mal convulsions because of inadvertent i.v. injection. No symptoms of cardiovascular toxicity occurred. Venous blood samples were taken 15, 45, 75 and 155 min after the injection. The measured total plasma concentrations of ropivacaine were 3.3, 1.6, 1.2 and 1.0 mg litre(-1) respectively. Initial plasma concentration after the end of the injection period was estimated at 5.75 mg litre(-1) using a two-compartment pharmacokinetic model.
Müller
M
M
Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital, Dresden, Germany.
Litz
R J
RJ
Hüler
M
M
Albrecht
D M
DM
D000368:Aged; D000577:Amides / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D001917:Brachial Plexus; D004830:Epilepsy, Tonic-Clonic / Q000139:chemically induced*; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000077212:Ropivacaine
D000577:Amides; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D000077212:Ropivacaine