Anaesthesia
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Emergence agitation can occur following recovery from general anaesthesia. The patient may exhibit aggressive behaviour, disorientation, agitation and restlessness. Untreated, this complication may result in significant morbidity. ⋯ In the second case, droperidol was used to treat emergence agitation in a morbidly obese patient with a difficult airway who was aggressive and difficult to restrain. Both of these patients remained calm and co-operative, with stable cardio-respiratory parameters, following the administration of droperidol and showed no further signs of agitation. We suggest that droperidol is an effective medication that may be used to prevent and treat severe emergence agitation due to its rapid sedative effect and minimal cardio-respiratory depression.
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Case Reports
Total spinal anaesthesia after an attempted brachial plexus block using the posterior approach.
A 66-year-old patient scheduled for elective shoulder surgery underwent a brachial plexus block using the posterior approach. Shortly after injection of the local anaesthetic, he rapidly became unresponsive and apnoeic. We identify the possible reasons for this occurrence and discuss the place of the posterior approach in brachial plexus anaesthesia.