Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat stopped breathing after eye nerve block but fully recovered
By Oliver, James A C & Bradbrook, Carl A·Published in Veterinary ophthalmology·2013·Davies Veterinary Specialists, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Suspected brainstem anesthesia following retrobulbar block in a cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 10-year-old male domestic shorthair cat was given anesthesia for surgery to remove a damaged eye. After receiving a local anesthetic injection behind the eye, the cat stopped breathing and had an increased heart rate. The veterinary team provided mechanical ventilation and completed the surgery. Afterward, the cat showed signs of nervous system issues, like tremors and abnormal eye movements, which were linked to the anesthesia affecting the brainstem. Thankfully, these symptoms resolved completely within three hours, and the cat recovered well.
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Abstract
A 10-year-old, male, neutered, domestic shorthair cat was anesthetised for enucleation of a perforated left globe. A retrobulbar injection of local anesthetic (lidocaine/bupivacaine) was performed prior to surgery to provide intra- and postoperative analgesia. Following administration of the injection, the cat developed apnea and heart rate increased. Mechanical ventilation was initiated and surgery went ahead as planned. At the conclusion of surgery, the cat remained apnoeic requiring positive pressure ventilation until spontaneous ventilatory effort resumed. Upon recovery, the cat demonstrated neurological signs including tremors, nystagmus and absent dazzle reflex. These signs were attributed to brainstem anesthesia from the retrobulbar block and fully resolved within 3 h. This is the first report of suspected intrathecal spread of local anesthetic following retrobulbar block in a cat to the authors' knowledge.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22812420/