Anaes Cases · Acute pain & multimodal analgesia
Epidural abscess or haematoma
Hot case — epidural abscess or haematoma. Urgent MRI; surgical decompression within 8 hours; stop the infusion; do not delay.
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ANZCAFRCAABAEDAIC
Prompt
On day 2 postoperatively with thoracic epidural in situ, the patient develops severe back pain, new leg weakness, and urinary retention. Manage.
Presentation
On day 2 after open cholecystectomy with thoracic epidural (ropivacaine + fentanyl), the patient develops severe new-onset back pain, bilateral leg weakness (power 3 out of 5), and urinary retention. The epidural infusion is running. Manage.
References1ShowHide
- [1]Yuan FL, et al. Advances in Ultrasound-Guided Fascial Plane Blocks for Perioperative Acute Pain Management. J Invest Surg, 2026.PMID 42262005