BJA Advance Access originally published online on May 12, 2006
British Journal of Anaesthesia 2006 97(2):196-199; doi:10.1093/bja/ael105
Anaesthetic management of a parturient with the postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome: a case report
1 Department of Anaesthesiology, Box 3094, Duke University Medical Center Durham, NC 27710, USA
2 Department of Paediatric Cardiology, Duke University Medical Center Durham, NC 27710, USA
*Corresponding author. E-mail: habib001{at}mc.duke.edu
Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome encompasses a group of disorders characterized by orthostatic intolerance. We describe the anaesthetic management of analgesia for labour and of Caesarean section in a parturient suffering from this disorder. Worsening of her symptoms during pregnancy was managed with an increase in the dose of ß-blockers taken by the patient. Epidural analgesia was instigated early to attenuate the stress of labour and avoid consequent triggering of a tachycardic response. Slow titration of epidural analgesia and anaesthesia after an adequate fluid preload was undertaken to minimize hypotension and subsequent tachycardia. Neuraxial opioid, combined with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and bilateral iliohypogastric and ilioinguinal nerve blocks were used to optimize postoperative analgesia.
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