• Han Sook Lee, Ji Young Min, and Yoonki Lee.
• Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
• Korean J Anesthesiol. 2012 Dec 1; 63 (6): 559-62.

AbstractErgonovine have been used for the prevention and treatment of postpartum or postabortion hemorrhage. Although this modality has been considered relatively safe in the obstetric patients, there were a few cardiac events associated with this drug in the post-delivery or post-abortion patients, especially in patients with cardiovascular risk factors. We experienced cardiac arrest in a non-parturient with no discernible risk factors. Although resuscitated, she also suffered from pulmonary edema with unstable hemodynamics and low oxygenation. To manage the patient, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was used and she recovered successfully without cardiopulmonary complications. Therefore, we recommend that when ergonovine is chosen as a modality, special caution should be paid to the pulmonary events, as well as cardiac, especially when administered by intravenously even in patients with no cardiovascular risk factors. If cardiac events occur, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or other measures, such as intra-aortic balloon pump can be helpful when conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation is not effective.

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