Korean J Anesthesiol.  1998 Mar;34(3):655-659. 10.4097/kjae.1998.34.3.655.

Severe Bradycardia and Hypotension degrees Ccurred during Positional Change in an Acute Cervical Spinal Cord Injury Patient under General Anesthesia

• Ahn HY
• Sohn JT
• Shin IW
• Kim SJ
• Lee HK
• Chung YK

• KMID: 2032434
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4097/kjae.1998.34.3.655

Abstract

Bradycardia is recognized as an acute complication of cervical cord injury. The etiology of such a phenomenon is believed to be due to an imbalance in the autonomic nervous system imposed on the heart by a cervical cord injury. The majority of the episodes of bradycardia degrees Ccurred either with tracheal suctioning or with changes in position. We experienced a case of severe bradycardia and hypotension when turning the patient with acute cervical spinal cord injury to the prone position, which was reversed by administration of intravenous atropine and ephedrine.

Keyword

Heart, arrhythmia: bradycardia; Parasympathetic nervous system: atropine; Position: prone; Spinal cord: injury

MeSH Terms

Anesthesia, General*
Atropine
Autonomic Nervous System
Bradycardia*
Ephedrine
Heart
Humans
Hypotension*
Prone Position
Spinal Cord Injuries*
Spinal Cord*
Suction
Atropine
Ephedrine