Journal of clinical anesthesia
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In most instances, delayed emergence from anesthesia is attributed to residual anesthetic or analgesic medications. However, delayed emergence can be secondary to unusual causes and present diagnostic dilemmas. ⋯ In this review, we summarize and discuss less common and difficult to diagnose reasons for delayed emergence and present cases from our own experience or reference published case reports/case series. The goal is to draw attention to less common reasons for delayed emergence, identify patient populations that are potentially at risk and to help anesthesiologists identifying a possible cause why their patient is slow to wake up.
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Review Case Reports
Valsalva hemorrhagic retinopathy presenting as a rare cause of impaired vision after a general anesthetic-a case report and review of the literature.
Postoperative visual loss from any cause is potentially catastrophic. We present a case of Valsalva hemorrhagic retinopathy (VHR) as a rare cause of impaired vision after an apparently uneventful general anesthetic. ⋯ Although VHR is considered to be rare, the events and activities with which it is associated are relatively common, both in everyday life and in the operating room. We suggest that the occurrence of VHR after anesthesia and surgery may be more frequent than previously appreciated and make recommendations for further investigations.