Reactions 1516, p46 - 30 Aug 2014

SBupivacaine/sufentanil

Right hemifacial paraesthesia, trismus anddysphasia: case report

A 34-year-old pregnant woman developed right hemifacialparaesthesia, trismus, and dysphasia following administrationof bupivacaine and sufentanil.

The pregnant woman presented with cervical dilatation andrequested labor analgesia. She was administered intrathecal1.5mg of bupivacaine plus 7.5µg of sufentanil through a spinalpuncture. Then an injection of bupivacaine 0.065%, 10ml wasadministered through an epidural puncture to facilitate thepassage of the catheter. She complained of perioral and righthemifacial paraesthesia, mainly maxillary and periorbital, aswell as trismus and difficulty to speak, after 5 minutes lyingdown in the lateral upright position.

The woman’s symptoms lasted for 30 minutes and resolvedspontaneously. She was administered 12ml of bupivacaine0.125% after 1 hour as supplementary analgesia and a healthybaby girl was born.

Author comment: "The events in this case suggest thatsufentanil and/or bupivacaine rostral dispersion to thetrigeminal nuclei may have caused these symptoms."De Souza Hobaika AB. A case of trigeminal hypersensitivity after administrationof intrathecal sufentanil and bupivacaine for labor analgesia. Saudi Journal ofAnaesthesia 8: 392-393, No. 3, Sep 2014. Available from: URL: http://doi.org/10.4103/1658-354X.136628 - Brazil 803107572

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Reactions 30 Aug 2014 No. 15160114-9954/14/1516-0001/$14.95 Adis © 2014 Springer International Publishing AG. All rights reserved