title: Apnea and seizures following retrobulbar local anesthetic injection.
abstract: Surgery on the eye is performed using topical anesthesia, retrobulbar anesthesia, peribulbar anesthesia, and general anesthesia. Retrobulbar anesthesia is associated with a number of complications that include apnea (respiratory arrest), seizures, or both. Although these complications are transient and self-limiting, they can be life-threatening if not recognized and treated early. We report two patients who developed apnea, one of whom had cardiorespiratory arrest; and two other patients who presented with seizures. We provided ventilation with 100% oxygen, treated the hypertension with nicardipine, and the tachycardia with esmolol. The patients did not have any residual complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, Roudebush V.A. Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA. Screenivasa.Moorthy@med.va.gov
authors.forename: Sreenivasa S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Moorthy
authors.forename: Rashid
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zaffer
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ksiazek
authors.forename: Robert D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Yee
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001049:Apnea / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local