Cardiac arrest complicating spinal anaesthesia for caesarean section.
We present a 36-year-old multiparous woman who developed intractable hypotension and cardiac arrest during spinal anaesthesia for elective caesarean section. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was successful and both mother and baby made a good recovery. Postoperative investigation revealed a dilated cardiomyopathy related to pregnancy. This case highlights the importance of expediting delivery of the neonate during maternal cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the prompt use of adrenaline as inotropic support, and preoperative assessment in apparently healthy parturients.
Department of Anaesthesia, St James's University Hospital, Leeds, UK.
L
L
Hawthorne
G
G
Lyons