Korean J Anesthesiol.  2008 Oct;55(4):494-497. 10.4097/kjae.2008.55.4.494.

Accidental intrapleural positioning of an epidural catheter in a patient undergoing a right pneumonectomy: A case report

• Kim JY
• Park JS
• Jeong CI
• Lee SI
• Kim KT
• Choe WJ
• Kim JW

• KMID: 2237414
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4097/kjae.2008.55.4.494

Abstract

Thoracic epidural analgesia is a common method of pain relief for thoracic and upper abdominal surgery. Misplacement of the epidural catheter is one of the complications associated with epidural analgesia. A 60-year-old man was scheduled for a right pneumonectomy under general anesthesia. Before inducing general anesthesia, the patient was placed in the left lateral decubitus position. A 18-gauge Tuohy needle was inserted into the T6-T7 level using the left paramedian approach 1.5 cm lateral to the midline with a loss of resistance at 7 cm, and uneventful catheter advancement was performed. Approximately 30 minutes after commencing surgery, the surgeon found the epidural catheter in the right pleural cavity. We report a case of the accidental intrapleural positioning of a thoracic epidural catheter.

Keyword

complication; intrapleural positioning; loss of resistance; thoracic epidural catheter

MeSH Terms

Analgesia, Epidural
Anesthesia, General
Catheters
Humans
Middle Aged
Needles
Pleural Cavity
Pneumonectomy