A case of postoperative anxiety due to low dose droperidol used with patient-controlled analgesia.
A multiparous woman in good psychological health underwent urgent caesarean section in labour. Postoperatively, she was given a patient-controlled analgesia device delivering boluses of diamorphine 0.5 mg and droperidol 0.025 mg. Whilst using the device she gradually became anxious, the feeling worsening after each bolus. The diagnosis of droperidol-induced psychological disturbance was not made straight away although on subsequent close questioning the patient gave a very clear history. After she had received a total of only 0.9 mg droperidol, a syringe containing diamorphine only was substituted and her unease resolved completely. We feel that, although the dramatic extrapyramidal side effects of dopaminergic antiemetics are well known, more subtle manifestations may easily be overlooked.
Department of Anaesthesia, Royal Oldham Hospital, Oldham, UK.
S J
SJ
Thorpe
A F
AF
Smith