Repeated episodes of difficulty with arousal following general anesthesia in a patient with ulnar neuropathy.
Delayed emergence following general anesthesia may be due to serious life-threatening disorders and deserves prompt evaluation. Rarely, delayed emergence has been attributed to a psychiatric or psychological cause. This report describes an otherwise healthy and mentally sound 52-year-old woman who experienced repeated dissociative episodes following general anesthesia for minor surgical procedures. These episodes lasted for 5 h and resulted in admission to the intensive care unit. The current literature is reviewed to identify commonalities among previously reported cases and to discuss different psychiatric and psychological mechanisms that can play a role in the development of this disorder.
Weingarten
Toby N
TN
Department of Anesthesiology, College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
Dingli
Mariella
M
Hall
Brian A
BA
Sprung
Juraj
J
D000328:Adult; D000762:Anesthesia Recovery Period; D000768:Anesthesia, General / Q000009:adverse effects*; D020918:Complex Regional Pain Syndromes / Q000150:complications; D003422:Critical Care; D004213:Dissociative Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D020424:Ulnar Neuropathies / Q000601:surgery*