title: Spinal epidural hematoma following epidural catheter removal in a paraplegic patient.
abstract: Spinal epidural hematoma is a rare and devastating complication of epidural catheter removal in an anticoagulated patient. The diagnosis could be quite challenging, especially in patients with preexisting neurological deficits. A 35-year-old patient with remote spinal cord injury and T4 level paraplegia developed a spinal epidural hematoma on the 7th postoperative day. The hematoma developed after epidural catheter removal with concurrent administration of unfractionated heparin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Naveen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Eipe
authors.forename: Carlos E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Restrepo-Garces
authors.forename: Richard I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Aviv
authors.forename: Imad T
authors.initials: IT
authors.lastname: Awad
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000767:Anesthesia, Epidural / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000009:adverse effects; D002404:Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects; D004824:Epidural Space / Q000473:pathology; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000378:metabolism; D046748:Hematoma, Epidural, Spinal / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006493:Heparin / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000150:complications*; D010976:Platelet Count; D001750:Urinary Bladder, Neurogenic / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D005340:Fibrinogen; D006493:Heparin