Margaret R Weglinski | PubMed Health

PubMed2005

Transient global amnesia after general anesthesia.

Transient global amnesia (TGA) is an amnestic syndrome, clinically dramatic but benign in nature. The hallmark of TGA is brief inability to form new memories and recall past memories despite otherwise normal neurological function. In a significant number of patients with TGA a stressful precipitating factor can be identified. We report two cases of TGA after uneventful general anesthesia. Anesthesia per se does not appear to be a direct trigger of TGA, as our first patient had a second anesthetic the next day without recurrence of TGA. Because the presentation of TGA can be dramatic and may mimic an acute cerebral ischemic event, a thorough neurologic evaluation should be pursued.

Aged↗

PubMed2002

New-onset neurologic deficits after general anesthesia for MRI.

Two patients with spine disease were unable to tolerate supine placement for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) because of severe back pain. General anesthesia was administered to enable the patients to undergo MRI. Both patients awakened from anesthesia with new-onset paraplegia and underwent emergency decompressive laminectomy. Acute paraplegia after anesthesia occurs infrequently and is most commonly associated with mechanical injury, vascular compromise, or anesthetic technique. The physical limitations of the MRI environment make it difficult to position some patients in a manner that accommodates their pathophysiology and may place certain patients at risk of neurologic compromise. For this subset of patients, the necessity of MRI with general anesthesia should be reassessed and alternative imaging methods considered.

Acute Disease↗